Gamer Riders of Remnant
by monkeycyborgninja
Summary: Jaune Arc, more widely known by his gamer tag Ultra Player J, has always wished he could be a Huntsmen, but the only thing he has ever been good at was playing video games. Now, when a new type of Grimm begins threatening the people of Remnant, Jaune might just get his wish as he becomes Kamen Rider Ex-Aid to fight this newly emerged Bugster Virus. Clear the Games, Save the World!
1. I'm a Kamen Rider!

**A/N: Hey guys, MCN here bringing you what you all probably expected, another random fic to distract me from my other ones, WOOT! Of course, this time it's a little bit different, this time the fic I'm bringing to you is a collaborative effort between myself and my buddy "brave kid" on this site, he came to me a while ago and we bounced around some ideas for some fics and recently he came to me with this idea and I thought, hey, my two current obsessions are RWBY and Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, so why not give this fic a try? Basically brave kid came up with the premise and a lot of the rolls for the RWBY characters, I just hammered out a few of the details, threw in a little bit of my own ideas, and wrote it down. Of course I ran this chapter by him before posting this, so this was a total team effort. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll see you guys in a bit.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Kamen Rider Ex-Aid**

* * *

 **I'm a Kamen Rider!**

 _Ever since I was a kid, all I ever wanted was to be was a hero…_

"Come on, you almost got him!"

 _Hearing stories about my great, great, grandfather, how he fought in the Great War and made the Arc name known far and wide…_

"No, don't, you're too hurt, it's too risky!"

 _I wanted to be just like him, a Huntsman, a warrior who fought to protect others…_

"Don't worry, I got this, just leave it to me!"

 _I've always… wanted to be a hero…_

"This. Is. IT!" A blond haired teen sporting a black Pumpkin Pete hoodie cried as he raised his hand up in determination and brought it down… on the attack button. On the arcade screen, the little Mighty character unleashed a powerful kick on the boss monster and in a bright, colorful flash it was destroyed, the character landing safely on its feet. A moment later a victory jingle began playing as Mighty pumped his fist into the air in victory, the words "Stage Clear" in bright yellow letters appearing on the screen.

" **YEAH!** " The teen playing, as well as the crowd of children watching, cried in joy.

"Wow mister, nobody's _ever_ beaten that level before!" One of the children said.

"You really are Ultra Player J!" A little girl next to him added.

"See, what did I tell you, Jaune can beat _anyone_ at _any_ game!" A third little boy said confidently, as if he were praising himself rather then his neighbor.

"Ah, come on guys, you're making me blush." Jaune Arc, also known as Ultra Player J replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Suddenly, Jaune felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his scroll, seeing that he had a message from his mother. "Oh, sorry guys, but I gotta get going." Jaune apologized.

"Aww, what, already?" The girl in the group said.

"Come on, one more level, I want to see what Mighty has to fight next!" One of the boys insisted.

"I'd love to, really I would, but duty calls." Jaune said in an awkward attempt to sound witty.

"Well, we'll see you at the launch party tomorrow, right?" His neighbor, a young boy named Souta said.

"Are you kidding me, wouldn't miss it for the world, we've been waiting 5 years for this!" Jaune called back as he made for the exit of the arcade. "See you tomorrow guys!" He called one final time as he exited establishment and started down the sidewalk. Almost immediately he pulled out his Scroll again and activate an app on it, the home screen for the "Mighty Action Mobile" appearing before he tapped "Game Start".

 _But the truth is, the only thing I've ever been good at, and I really do mean the_ only _thing, is video games…_

Jaune was brought out of his gaming trance by the sound of a group of teenagers his age walking down the other side of the street, they had weapons strapped to their backs and belts, suggesting that they were students at the local combat school, probably excited to be graduating into one of the higher academies. Jaune looked down dejectedly at the pavement, he actually recognized some of the teens in that group, they went to preschool together, to grade school, but then when it came time to try out for combat school…

 _I could never make the cut; even though I tried every year until I was too old, I just… wasn't good enough._

It was frustrating, being the only Arc to not be able to get into combat school, let alone become a Huntsman, it's all he ever wanted to do, but it just… wasn't meant to be. He looked back at the game that he had instinctually paused; there was a slight breeze before he unconsciously cracked a small smirk as he unpaused it.

 _Oh well, brooding can wait; right now I got a game to beat._

* * *

"Ultra Player J, real name: unknown." A man said from behind a desk, looking over a file being displayed on a holographic screen in front of him. The man wore a white general's uniform and was slightly aged, with black hair that had sections of white and grey from both stress and age. "Has won multiple tournaments in the past and holds many world records in several different games in several different genres. Often regarded as a "Genius Gamer" by fans and developers alike." He read aloud.

"I'm telling you General Ironwood sir, this Ultra Player J would be a very suitable candidate for the Gamer Driver, I guarantee~ it!" A playful yet almost robotic voice said from a separate screen, showing a young girl with curly, shoulder length orange hair with a pink bow tied in the back.

"…I understand that given the nature of our enemy that this "Genius Gamer" may seem like a suitable candidate, but it'll take more than being able to hit a few buttons on a controller to be effective with a Gamer Driver." Ironwood replied as understandingly as he could, though the girl didn't seem too happy with his response.

"But General Ironwood, I have a _really_ good feeling about him, I've seen him play, if it's a game then he will definitely be able to beat it, please reconsider." She pleaded with him. Ironwood sighed and looked the girl in the eye through the screen.

"Penny, I know you want to help, but I'm afraid we just can't let a civilian with no combat experience use a Gamer Driver, it's simply too risky, for the "gamer" and any potential victims." He tried to explain as softly as he could, Penny's only response being to look away dejectedly. "I know you want to help, but your job is just to look over and support the candidates, leave the selection process to us. We already have a list of suitable candidates coming in from the applications to the Huntsmen Academies, trust us, we'll pick people who can do the job right, ok." He waited for a response and Penny eventually looked back up at him.

"Understood General Ironwood Sir." She said in a more upbeat tone with a playful salute.

"Excellent, now, do you have the package?" Ironwood asked.

"Packed and ready for transport sir!" Penny assured as she showed the black case.

"Good, be sure to bring that to Beacon safely, we will have a candidate ready for debriefing once you arrive." Ironwood stated.

"Got it sir, you can count on me!" Penny said with one last salute before hanging up. Ironwood spared a small smile before looking back at the file of "Ultra Player J".

"I'm sorry Penny, but this is just too important to leave in the hands of someone who will treat it like a game." He said to himself before he closed the file and got back to work.

* * *

The next day, Jaune woke up bright and early to be first in line at the convocation center, where a special launch party was being held for the release of Genm Corp. newest and most anticipated game, Mighty Action X, the latest installment in their famous Mighty Action Series. It had been 5 years since the game's release was delayed, and nothing was going to stop Jaune from getting his hands on it today. It didn't take long for the line to start forming behind him, it was already stretched down a whole city block or two, and people just kept coming.

"Hey Mister, remember us?" A familiar voice called out to him. He looked back and saw the group of kids from the day before being held back by some security guards.

"Oh, hey guys, hey it's ok, they're with me!" He stated, causing the guards to release them and allow them to rush up to the blond. "Hey guys, how's it going?" He said as he high fived a couple of them.

"We're doing awesome, we're first in line now!" One of the boys said excitedly.

"Can you believe it, we're gonna be the first people to play the legendary Mighty Action X!" Another added with equal excitement.

"Tell me about it, the clock can't move any slower!" Jaune replied with almost more childlike anticipation then the actual children. However, his face fell slightly once he realized someone was missing from their little group. "Hey, where's Souta?" He wondered, the kids experiencing a similar change in their demeanor.

"He's not coming." One of the girls said dejectedly.

"Huh, not coming, why, he was so looking forward to this." Jaune inquired.

"Well, yesterday he was feeling a little sick, and today he got even worse, so his mom took him to the hospital." The first boy explained.

"Hospital…" Jaune was shocked, was it really that serious that he would have to miss coming to the gaming event of the century. The children began talking about how they could bring him a souvenir after the event, but Jaune was too preoccupied to listen, his little buddy suffering in the hospital was all he could think about. "…Guys, hold my spot for me, I'm going to go check on him." Jaune said before getting out of line and rushing down the street.

* * *

"Yes, he should be in Room 107." A nurse said at the front desk of the local hospital.

"Thank you very much." Jaune replied politely before striding down the hallway to the specified room. However, he heard Souta's voice before he even got there.

"But it's not fair, why do I have to stay here!" Souta cried, much to Jaune's concern.

"Please sweetheart, you have to understand it's for your own good." A voice Jaune recognized as Souta's mom replied.

"No, I'm not staying, you can't make me!" He rebuked stubbornly just as Jaune was about to reach the room. Suddenly, Souta burst from the open door and rushed down the hallway to the exit.

"Huh, Souta?" Jaune said quizzically as he began to advance, only to stop before crashing into Souta's mother.

"Oh, Jaune, what are you doing here?" She questioned him.

"I heard about Souta, is he ok?" Jaune questioned.

"Please, he's getting away, help us catch him!" She replied frantically.

"Uh, right!" Jaune said before bolting after the young boy. He was out of sight and so he went outside and looked around, finding Souta already crossing the street. "Souta!" He called out to him.

"Jaune!" Souta said with a smile happy to see his friend, however, that smile fell when he saw his mother and the nurse follow after him, making him immediately run away.

"Souta, wait!" Jaune cried as he ran after him, having trouble closing the gap the boy's head start gave him. "Come on Souta, wait, I just want to talk!" Jaune kept calling, but Souta just ignored him and kept running. He turned a corner and just barely missed a casually strolling Penny, who lifted the black case she was carrying to keep the boy from running into it.

"Oh, that was a close one." She sighed with relief as she turned back around to keep running, only to be met with Jaune running at top speed into her. The two fell to the ground painfully, Penny's case falling out of her hands and spilling its contents onto the ground, one such item was a strange neon green device with what seemed to be a neon pink lever switch closed onto it, and the other was a little pink device with a strange glass part sticking out of it. Souta look back at the sound of the crash, but the first thing that caught his attention was the pink trinket on the ground.

"Ugh, oh, I'm so sorry, are you ok?" Jaune said frantically as he stood pack up, rubbing his bottom from the fall.

"Oh I'm wonderful, thank you for asking." Penny said jovially, uncharacteristically of someone who just took a great fall.

"Uh, here, let me help you up." Jaune offered.

"Oh no need, I can get up myself." Penny insisted before nimbly leaping back up to her feet, much to Jaune's surprise. "My name is Penny, it is a pleasure to meet you!" She greeted happily, as if completely oblivious to their circumstances of meeting. Jaune struggled to find the words to respond when Souta walked back and picked up the pink trinket.

"Hey, it's Mighty Action X!" Souta said in surprise as he read the label on the trinket. "What's it doing here?" He wondered out loud, gaining the attention of the two teens, specifically Penny.

"Oh, pardon me, little boy, but that belongs to me." Penny said politely, yet she quickly snatched the device away from the boy and quickly began to gather up her things.

"That game comes out today, hey you think you can let me play it? Please, just for a bit?" He pleaded, clasping his hands together.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you do that little boy." Penny replied as she secured the game and the device back into the case. "You see, this isn't just an ordinary game, it is very important that I deliver this to Beacon as soon as possible." She explained, Souta looking down sadly at her response.

"Uh, Souta, are you ok, why did you run away like that?" Jaune questioned as he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. Much to his shock, he pushed his hand away rather violently, refusing to look up at the older boy.

"I can't… play it…" Souta said dejectedly. Suddenly, Souta moaned in pain as he grabbed his head, suddenly feeling dizzy. A moment later he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Souta, hey Souta, are you ok, what's wrong!" Jaune cried as he kneeled down and tried to shake Souta awake. Penny looked over as well just in time for the both of them to see strange black blobs come out of the back of Souta's neck leaving behind a strange rash that looked almost like… pixels. "Huh, what was…?" Jaune wondered but was suddenly pushed out of the way by Penny.

"It can't be…" She said as she kneeled down and put on a strange looking stethoscope, though instead of pressing it to the boy's back, she hit a button on it, a screen appearing displaying Souta and strange star icon right around where the rash had appeared. "Oh no, these symptoms…" Penny mumbled to herself with great concern. Jaune looked up and saw the screen, but didn't know at all what to make of it. "Hurry, we have to get this boy to a hospital, please help me!" Penny said to Jaune, only increasing his concern.

* * *

Once Jaune had carried Souta back into the hospital, the boy was immediately moved to an intensive care unit that seemed almost quarantined from the rest of the hospital. Jaune, as the good Samaritan that helped out was allowed through, as well as the boy's mother, who looked on helplessly as her son was frantically examined by multiple doctors, all spouting medical nonsense that neither she nor Jaune could understand. Eventually they were forced to wait outside, Jaune thought that he should probably say something to comfort the worrying mother, but with himself just as worried he could think of nothing to say. After what felt like hours of waiting, Penny came out of the ICU and approached them.

"Excuse me, are you that little boy's mother?" She inquired.

"Yes I am, is he ok?" She asked as she shot up from her seat.

"He is stable for the moment, but there are some things that I must discuss with you, can you please follow me?" She politely asked.

"Uh, yes, of course." She confirmed, and with that she followed Penny to another room, leaving Jaune to sit there, worrying by himself.

Penny led her to a generic looking office, it didn't seem like the doctor it belonged to was in, and so she took a seat to wait for him to return.

"Give me a moment ma'am while I set up the call." Penny said as she began typing on the holographic computer on the desk.

"Huh, call?" The mother said quizzically, but soon got her answer when Penny hit enter and the image of Ironwood appeared on the screen facing her.

"Greetings ma'am, my name is General James Ironwood of the Atlesian Military," He introduced himself. "I'm sorry that we had to meet under these conditions."

"Atlesian Military?" She said with confusion, shouldn't she be talking to a doctor?

"Yes, I have been briefed on the situation and I'm sorry to say that it seems that your son has fallen victim to a new type of Creature of Grimm." Ironwood replied, much to the mother's shock.

"What, Creature of Grimm, b-but that's impossible, Souta has never even seen a Grimm!" She said frantically.

"I can't disclose all of the details, but this new form of Grimm seems to act very much like a virus, infecting humans and assimilating their body into its own." Ironwood explained further, though it only served to worry the mother even more.

"Assimilate… his body…!" She repeated.

"Yes, if left unchecked… there is a very real possibility of the boy turning into a Creature of Grimm." Ironwood said, he couldn't find a better way to break it to her.

"…No… no, no, this can't be happening!" She cried as she stood up and began pacing all over the room tears spilling from her eyes.

"Ma'am, please clam down, we're not sure how the virus will react to negative emotions." Penny said, putting a comforting hand on the mother's arm.

"We do have a counter measure available, but at the moment it is not operational." Ironwood informed, Penny glancing back at the black case she had brought with her.

"Then… Then what do we do?" The mother pleaded.

"For now we just keep your son in the ICU and stave of the virus, I will have my associates speed up the preparation process and have our countermeasure ready in a few days… I'm sorry, but it is the best we can do." Ironwood said apologetically. The mother didn't reply, she just sat back down in her seat and began crying into her hands. "…I'll let you know if anything else happens ma'am, end transmission." And with that Ironwood disappeared from the screen. Penny frowned at Ironwood's somewhat tactless way of handling the situation, but what really saddened her was the crying mother in front of her. She looked back at the black case and narrowed her eyes in determination, taking the case and walking to the door.

"Don't worry ma'am, I promise your son will be fine." She said in a chipper voice, much to the mother's surprise as she looked up at her. "I'll go and bring Ultra Player J here and he'll beat that virus no problem, you just wait!" Penny assured with a bright smile before leaving the room. The mother just looked at the doorway in confusion.

"Huh, Ultra… Player?" She mumbled to herself, the title seeming somewhat familiar to her.

Meanwhile, once all of the doctors had gone, Jaune went in to see Souta, who was lying in a bed in the ICU, surrounded by screens monitoring his vital signs.

"Souta?" He said softly in case he was a sleep.

"Mm… Jaune?" Souta replied.

"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" Jaune asked as he walked over to his side. Souta was silent, looking down sadly as he pulled out a key ring with a little trinket shaped like Mighty on it.

"That's, the key ring I won for you at the arcade right?" Jaune said, recognizing the little prize.

"I really wanted to go to the launch party today." Souta lamented.

"…Hey come on, I know it sucks, but it's not the end of the world." Jaune said, trying to cheer him up. "Tell you what, I'll buy you a copy, and once you're good to receive visitors we can all…"

"There's no point if I don't go to the launch party!" Souta cried, slamming the key ring on the bed in frustration.

"Souta…?" Jaune said quizzically at the boy's reaction.

"…I didn't make it into combat school." He admitted, Jaune's eyes widening in shock. "Me and my friends all went to try out together, but I was the only one who didn't make it. Pretty soon all of my friends will be too busy training to play with me anymore… this was our last chance to all do something together…" Souta's eyes began well up in tears but he was stopped by a sudden shooting pain in his head.

"Souta!" Jaune cried in concern. The boy's words resonated with Jaune greatly, memories flashed in Jaune's head of all of the times he was rejected to go to combat school, of falling his face during the obstacle course while his peers all performed perfectly, of looking at his former classmates from a distance while playing a video game on a bench while they all spared with each other, he wouldn't wish that crushing loneliness on anyone.

"Am I… going to die?" Souta asked him.

"…No way, and you know what, you're not missing that party." Jaune replied, with a determined smile on his face.

"Huh, but…" Souta began.

"So you're a little sick, big deal, and you know what I always do when I'm sick to feel better?" Jaune asked playfully.

"Play games!" Souta replied.

"Exactly!" Jaune replied before his smile softened and he took his friend's hand. "Don't worry, I promise you'll be playing with your friends in no time, us gamers have to stick together after all." He promised sincerely, the two friends smiling at each other.

* * *

After waiting in line for hours, the convocation center finally opened and fans flooded into the room that the Mighty Action X Launch Party was being held. There were merchandise booths set up everywhere, as well as demo booths for those who wanted to try the game before purchasing a copy. As soon as they were allowed in fans already scrambled to start a line for the demos and began shopping around for Mighty memorabilia. The scene was chaotic enough that many didn't notice the man that walked onto a stage set up on the far wall of the room, a large monitor flashing to life behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my apologies for the wait." The man announced, his voice emanating from the speakers grabbing everyone's attention. Many recognized the man as the CEO of Genm Corp himself, Daniel Negro that would always attend these sorts of events personally despite his high position. "It's been five long years since it was originally announced. Now, the long awaited legendary game… Mighty Action X is finally complete!" He announced dramatically as the game's logo appeared on the screen behind him. The crowd burst into applause at this announcement and immediately after the demo booths sprang to life and fans quickly started playing.

Not too long after the main event had started, Penny walked into the party and examined her surroundings with a childlike wonder, she had never been to such a crowded and fun looking place before, it almost made her forget the reason she came.

"No, no, no, pull yourself together Penny Polendina, a little boy's life is at stake, and the only person who can save him is somewhere in this room… at least, I hope he is, he _has_ to be." She said to herself as she scanned the room. Honestly, she didn't really know what she was looking for, she didn't know Ultra Gamer J's real name or even what he looked like, she had no idea where to even start looking. However, as her gaze passed over the line for the demos she had to do a double take as she saw a familiar head of golden hair as well as the yellow jacket of a familiar young boy. "Huh… AHHHHH?" She cried as she rushed over to the line.

"Little boy!" She cried out, gaining the attention of the group of children that Souta was speaking with, as well as their teenage chaperone. Souta looked both surprised and worried at the sight of the ginger haired girl, and Jaune seemed just as shocked.

"Huh, what are you doing here?" He asked her as she stood before them.

"That's just what I was about to ask!" Penny replied. "Why is this sick little boy not in bed at the hospital?"

"Souta, who is this girl?" One of Souta's friends asked.

"I thought you said you were all better." The girl of the group added with concern.

"I am, I am, I _don't_ need to go back to the hospital!" Souta replied, turning around mid sentence to Penny, shooting her annoyed glare.

"Oh I am certain you do little boy Souta, you are very, very…" Penny began to lecture before Jaune covered her mouth.

"Ah, will you excuse us for a moment, don't mind us, you guys just keep waiting for the game, I'll be right back." Jaune said awkwardly as she guided Penny off to the sight out of earshot. "Look, I'm sorry for sneaking Souta out of the hospital without permission, but he really wanted to come to this event." Jaune began to explain himself. "Please, just let us off the hook this once, I promise I'll take Souta back as soon as the Launch Party is over." He pleaded, clasping his hands together desperately.

"Absolutely not, that little boy is very, very sick, he needs to be taken back to the ICU as soon as possible." Penny insisted.

"Oh come on, so he gets a little dizzy sometimes, one afternoon playing video games with his friends isn't gonna kill him." Jaune tried to rebuke.

"I'm sorry, but you just don't understand the situation that boy is in." Penny replied. "If his illness is left unchecked, his life, as well as those he comes in contact with, will all be in danger." She explained.

"…What?" Jaune nearly whimpered with a shocked expression on his face, he had no idea that Souta's condition was that serious. He looked back over to the group of children silently, all giddy to finally get their hands on this legendary game, did he really just put all of their lives in danger? Once it seemed like Jaune would no longer protest, Penny walked back over to Souta and his friends.

"Souta, we're going back to the hospital." Penny said as she grabbed the boy by his wrist.

"Let go, it's nearly our turn!" He protested, refusing to move from his place in line.

"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." Penny insisted as she tried to pull him away.

"It's just for a little bit, let me play!" Souta pleaded desperately. Suddenly, he felt a shooting pain in his head, closing his eyes and grasping it as he moaned in pain.

"Hey, Souta, you ok?" Souta's friend asked.

"You really are still sick, aren't you?" Another one stated.

"Souta!" Jaune cried as she rushed over to him. But as soon as he was in reach Souta pulled out of Penny's grip with enough force to not only send Penny, but Jaune to the ground a few feet away. Souta cradled his head in his hands as the mirage of a strange creature momentarily appeared over Souta, but vanishing as soon as it came. Souta couldn't take the pain anymore and let out a scream, the same black blobs from before now covering his entire body and morphing into what can only be described as a giant black golem. The entire room erupted in panic as the sight of the monster as began to stampede away and out of the room, including Souta's friends. However, Jaune and Penny could only stare in horror at the creature as a strange white mask with blood red markings and two round yellow eyes materialized on the creature's "face" and it began to swing its large club like limbs at whatever was around.

"Wh-what is that?" Jaune managed to say.

"…It's breaking out." Was all the response Penny offered, only confusing Jaune even more. The creature seemed to finally notice them and rose up its left arm for a strike.

"Run away!" Penny cried as she dragged Jaune to his feet and out of the room, the creature slamming its arm down where they had just been. Once they were outside and relatively safe, Jaune stopped running and grabbed Penny by the shoulders.

"Wait, wait, what do you mean "breaking out", what the heck is going on!" Jaune demanded. In her state of panic, she threw caution to the wind and decided to explain.

"There's… a new virus threatening humanity." Penny began ominously.

"A new virus…?" Jaune parroted incredulously.

"A computer virus that came into contact with the Creatures of Grimm and mutated from them. It evolves by coming into contact with and infecting humans… we call it the Bugster Virus." She elaborated. "Once infected, the virus multiplies and assimilates the cells in the host's body until… it completely turns into a Bugster." She concluded as she looked back at the convocation center, where the Bugster Union was still rampaging. Jaune's eyes widened in terror at this new information, he looked back at the convocation center and listened to the sounds of the Bugster Union rampaging, he couldn't believe that hidden somewhere in that monstrosity was his little buddy Souta, and what's more, it was all his fault that he ended up like that.

"…So then… Souta is… already…" Jaune said as he took a few weak steps forward before falling to his knees in despair, and then falling over onto his hands as he fought back tears. He screwed up again, no wonder he could never become a Huntsmen, he couldn't even protect his close friend, let alone the world, and now his incompetence cost Souta his life.

"…No, we still have a chance." Penny said.

"R-really, how can we save Souta?" Jaune said as Penny kneeled down and opened up the case she had with her, the blond boy crawling over as well.

"With the Gamer Driver and Rider Gashat, we can operate on Souta and remove the Bugster from him." Penny explained as she removed said items from the foam casing.

"Huh, we can operate with that?" Jaune said quizzically as he looked at the strange devices.

"Yes, if you transform into a Kamen Rider." Penny elaborated.

"Kamen Rider…" Jaune wondered out loud, the title gave of the air of a super hero of some sort.

"We have to hurry and find someone who can use it, I guess it'll have to a Huntsman after all." Penny said, somewhat lamenting that her personal pick for the role was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, the Bugster Union burst through a hole in the convocation center and began thrashing about outside, shocking the two as they stared at it, the panic surely attracting other Grimm. As Jaune watched the creature walk away, his but firmly planted on the ground, he couldn't help but remember the words of his grandfather, as well as his own words to Souta.

'… _Remember Jaune, a true Huntsmen never gives up, especially when there are lives a stake…_ '

'… _Us gamers have to stick together after all…_ '

Suddenly, all of his fear drained away from his body, giving him the strength to stand back up again. He stared at the creature with a determined glare, he didn't know what he could do to help, but he had to try, for Souta.

"I'll do it, I'll do the operation." He stated. Before Penny could reply, Jaune snatched the Gamer Diver and the Rider Gashat from her and quickly ran to the Bugster Union.

"Give it back, it's too dangerous for just anyone to use that game!" Penny cried as she ran after him. Jaune wasn't paying attention to her, but as he slapped the Gamer Driver on his waist and a black belt looped around and tightened, one word she said clicked in his mind.

"Game?" He said quizzically as he looked at the Gashat in his hand. It did indeed have the logo of new released Mighty Action X, but it couldn't actually be…

" _Mighty Action X!_ " The Gashat announced as Jaune hit the black switch on the top right of it. Suddenly, a holographic screen resembling the home screen of the Mighty Action X game appeared behind him and modernized remix of the Mighty Action jingle rang throughout the area. The world around him suddenly began to change, a pulse of energy rippling out and turning the area around him into a blocky, pixelated version of itself, before quickly reformatting into its original appearance, the only difference being that there were now square blocks of what seemed to be chocolate sporadically placed all over the place, some on the ground and some floating in the air.

"The Game Area!" Penny stated as she witnessed the world change. What she didn't notice was a slight breeze blowing passed Jaune's face as a confident, almost excited smile graced his features.

"If it's a game, just leave it to me!" Jaune declared, much to Penny's confusion. "I will change Souta's face… with my own hands!" he added as he swung the Gashat around in a transformation pose. "Henshin!" He cried before flipping the Gashat so the glass end pointed downwards and switched it to his left hand and inserted it into the first slot in the Gamer Driver.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name!_ " The Driver announced as a virtual ring appeared around Jaune, followed by a multitude of icons that showed various armored characters. Once the icons stopped spinning Jaune chose the one that resembled Mighty, his body glowing with pixelated energy before the character icon phased into him.

" _I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " In a flash of bright light Jaune's transformation was complete and standing in the place of the quirky golden-headed boy was… a rather ridiculous looking mascot like character that vaguely resembled Mighty. The only indication that this was in fact Jaune was the Gamer Driver that was around the character's waist.

"Hmm, whoa, what is this, huh, what, wha…?" Jaune stammered as he tries his best to get a handle of his new bulky Level 1 form. Finally, the Bugster Union seemed to notice the "threat" and winded its big arm to attack.

"Look out!" Penny warned. Jaune looked up and saw the attack coming, immediately leaping out of the way, a little jumping sound effect leaving his feet as he did. The Bugster's arm smashed the ground where Jaune once stood, the suited boy landing right on top of the large fist, only leaping off when it tried to shake him off. The Bugster raised its arm to slam him again, but Jaune once again leaped out of the way, landing on the creature's head in a mocking pose. The creature took the bait and reached for him, only to slam its own head once Jaune leaped out of the way.

With a flip in the air Jaune landed a couple of feet away from it safe and sound. He took a momentary look at his surroundings and quickly deduced that it would be more effective to be on the other side of the Bugster. And so he literally rolled under it, the Bugster desperately trying to step on him the whole way until he made it to his desired location. He unrolled and stood up straight letting out a cocky chuckle as he unconsciously summoned his weapon, it started as an icon on a ring surrounding him, but eventually materialized into a little white and black hammer with a pink A button and a green B button on one said. On the other was a large, black slot and on top it had what seemed to be a spiky pink mohawk.

" _Gashacon Breaker!_ " The weapon introduced itself as Jaune took it in his right hand.

"I'll clear this game without any continues!" Jaune declared as he pointed the Gashacon Breaker at the monster. Once the monster acknowledged the challenge, Jaune, with a determined grunt, raised the weapon in the air, turned on his heel… and began running away into the intricate bridges of connected the various buildings of the convocation center. "Come on, over here, over here, come get me!" He taunted, the monster chasing after him furiously, breaking some of the chocolate blocks that floated overhead.

"Hey wait, where are you going?" Penny called as she tried to follow at a safe distance.

"This is just how you fight in Platformers… you jump around the stage, collecting items… and then strike at just the right moment!" Jaune explained as he leaped from bridge to bridge, platform to platform, jumping on and off chocolate blocks to avoid the Bugster Union's flailing attacks. Penny couldn't help but get a little dizzy watching the little character leap all over the place, was this really the most effective way to battle this Creature of Grimm.

Eventually, Jaune saw that its movements were slowing down and the time to strike was approaching. He leaped on a couple of chocolate blocks to get to the highest one he could get to and broke it apart with the Gashacon Breaker, revealing a yellow glowing medal that depicted a black figure running at top speed. The item phased into Jaune's body, making him glow as well.

"Got an item, Speed Up!" Jaune announced as he unleashed the power of the medal, zooming across a set of floating blocks at blinding speeds, hitting the Bugster as he passed by, too fast for it to respond. Each time the Bugster was hit, a little graphic that said "HIT" in bright yellow font appeared, this truly was a game. As the power up was beginning to fade, Jaune landed one last powerful hit to send the Bugster out into the open, landing just within range to get hit. The Bugster noticed this and took the bait, going to hit him only to have all of his strikes knocked away by Jaune's weapon. Once the Bugster seemed to be getting tired, Jaune leaped up into the air, spun in the air and then slammed down on the creature with the Gashacon Breaker, he did this a couple of times before he saw that its form was beginning to lose shape.

"This is it!" He cried as he landed one last powerful smack of his hammer, the Bugster melting away and then exploding into a series of black pixels. A little victory jingle played in the background as Souta appeared in the aftermath of the explosion, falling to the ground unconscious.

"Souta!" Jaune cried as he rushed up to the boy. He kneeled down and tried to touch him, only for his hand to pass right through him, noticing that his body was transparent and sparking with pixelated energy. "What the… why?"

"The game isn't over yet!" Penny stated as she joined him.

"Huh?" Jaune said quizzically before seeing what she meant. A few feet away, a bunch of little black specks began to come a together, fusing into a multitude of enemies. The majority of them were strange little foot soldiers, with black bodies and white heads with red markings reminiscent of the Creatures of Grimm. The one that seemed to lead them however, was a strange looking creature, it was mostly blue and seemed at least partially mechanical, wearing a black top hat and matching cape. But what really caught their attention about it was that it was wearing a Grimm mask and on its top hat was a strange red symbol that in part resembled a sideways eye.

"Puny Level 1, not even worth biting into." The creature mocked as he stroked the strange snail like appendage on its left arm. Suddenly, the foot soldiers changed appearance as well, now seeming to be dressed as chefs with various utensils as weapons.

"That's the boss Count Salty." Jaune said, recognizing the creature from his many playthroughs of the various Mighty Action games. "So I just have to defeat him and I clear the level, right?" He said nonchalantly.

"Yes, but be careful, leveling up might just be too dangerous." Penny warned.

"Pffft, yeah right, Salty's the first boss you fight in almost every Mighty Action game, this is gonna be a cake walk." Jaune insisted, waving off Penny's warning. "Although, I guess a little more attack power couldn't hurt." He admitted as he reached to the side of his belt and hit a button on a strange green slot.

" _Stage Select!_ " The driver announced a ring of images featuring different areas appeared.

"Nope, that's the Stage Select." He deduced as he let the images disappear without selecting anything. He then reached to the buckle of the driver, noticing the only thing on it was the large pink switch lever. "So I guess it's this then. Don't worry about it, just sit back, relax, and watch the skills of Ultra Player J in action!" Jaune stated.

"...You're… Ultra Player J?" Penny said in disbelief.

"Dai-Henshin!" Jaune cried as he posed heroically, or as heroically as possible with that ridiculous looking body. He then pulled the lever out, revealing the Gamer Driver's screen with an image of his second Rider from on it, the other side of the cover having the words "Gamer Driver" in bright, colorful font.

" _Gachan! Level Up!_ " The Driver announced as the image on the screen blew up into a life-sized hologram that Jaune dashed through. He glowed with pink energy as the image fused into him.

" _Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty, Mighty Action X!_ " The Driver sang as Jaune jumped high into the air and threw out a flying kick. Finally, the rest of his body completely fell apart, leaving only his face, and out from behind it popped a body resembling the image on the screen; Jaune now wore a pink body suit with black lines running down either side of his body, with a grey chest plate that resembled a game controller with four multicolored buttons on the right hand side and what seemed to be a life bar over two command buttons on the left hand side. Of course, his helmet still made him resemble the Mighty character, but its more humanoid appearance almost made him look like a fighting game character.

Jaune landed in a kneel, pausing for a moment before standing back up and raising his right fist into the air with his other hand on his waist in Mighty's iconic pose, the words Level Up appearing in bright yellow font. Penny looked in amazement at Jaune's Level 2 form, though the Bugster seemed unfazed, though it would soon be sorry. Jaune let out a cocky chuckle before cracking his knuckles and summoning the Gashacon Breaker once more.

"Let's go!" Jaune said as he took the weapon in his hand and flicked his wrist confidently. He then charged into the small army of Bugsters, bashing any that came into range, each one taking one or two hits to disappear into a burst of black pixels.

Eventually the fight spilled into a nearby parking lot, giving the genius gamer a lot more room to work with. He was surrounded and out numbered, but Jaune effortlessly avoided their attempts to strike him, leaping around the battlefield with acrobatic ease as he hammered down each Bugster one by one, slowly wedeling down their numbers. Eventually, Jaune leaped out of the crowd of creatures, standing at the perfect angle for them to be all lined up before him. Spinning his weapon in his hand confidently, he rushed in, bombarding the Bugsters with powerful strikes, knocking them all over the battlefield before they burst into nothingness. Once he made it to the last one, that didn't seem to be paying attention, he gave it a moment to guard its head with what seemed to be a cooking bowl, before slamming his weapon on to it, killing the creature anyway. Suddenly, a second wave of Bugsters materialized, though it did little to deter Jaune as he tapped the A button on the Gashacon Breaker.

" _Ja-kin!_ " The weapon announced as the mohawk unfolded and extended into a blade.

"Ja-kin!" Jaune couldn't help but repeat as he brandished the Gashacon Breaker in Blade Mode. He then reengaged the Bugster, skillfully slashing at them while blocking and countering any attack thrown at him. He leaped around the battlefield easily dispatching the second wave of Bugsters.

"Oh, spicing things up are we?" The Salty Bugster said from his perch, impressed by his opponent's skills. He then leaped down onto the parking lot, haughtily laughing and gaining the gamer's attention. "Have at you!" He cried as he dramatically threw his cape behind himself and charged toward him. Jaune simply leaped over him, much to Salty's surprise, the Bugster came at him again and without even looking Jaune back flipped out of the way over him again, much to the enemy's irritation. However, this time Jaune landed within range and attempted to slash at the Bugster, but Salty blocked the attack with his snail like appendage and chuckled menacingly as sparks began to travel down Jaune's weapon.

"Gah!" He cried as he was shocked by the sparks making him stumble back a bit. Salty didn't give him any time to recover as he began firing bolts of lightning at his feet, making him dance. "Whoa, whoa, easy there now." Jaune said as he avoided the arcing electricity as best he could, he was surprised, Salty could manipulate electricity in the games too, but only for large, area of effect, desperation attacks, so he was taken off guard with these more practical attacks. However, when Salty was about to fire a bolt straight at him, Jaune quickly swatted the appendage away with his blade and then countered with an upward slash to his torso that sent him rolling to the ground.

With Salty now staggered, he leaped up onto a near by floating chocolate block and then came down on Salty with a powerful downward slash just as he got back to his feet. He followed up with a high horizontal slash, which Salty ducked under, but he immediately swung back around and nicked him with a slash to the face. Jaune then took a moment to tap the B button on the Gashacon Breaker twice before landing an extra powerful slash across Salty's chest, two HIT graphics appearing to signify the extra damage. Before Salty had a chance to recover Jaune tapped the button again and slashed once more, followed by two more normal slashes that ended up with him standing on the other side of Salty. Jaune could see that they were nearing the end and so with a loud battle cry he began jabbing Salty with his blade, each jab keeping him in the air as they traveled across the lot and once Salty had come back down Jaune let out one final slash that sent him flying back across the battlefield.

"Gah… curse you!" Salty cursed as he struggle back to his feet.

"Now, let's end this with a finisher!" Jaune declared, seeing it was time to end it.

" _Gashun!_ " The Driver said as Jaune removed the Rider Gashat from its slot and blew into it like an old fashioned game cartage before sliding it into the slot on the side of his belt.

" _Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " The slot announced after Jaune hit the button. There was a standby noise as colorful graphic like energy began pulsating from the Gashat and collecting onto Jaune's foot, glowing green like his boots.

"Alright, here we go!" Jaune stated as he began to limber up, getting into a stance as the energy began overflowing from his foot.

"What the… AH!" Salty cried when he finally noticed Jaune's finisher charging.

" _Mighty Critical Strike!_ " The slot announced after Jaune hit the button once again, the eyes on his visor glowing momentarily before he leaped into the air and landed a kick onto the Salty Bugster. However, he stayed in the air and delivered a series of leaping and spinning kicks, the HIT graphic occasionally turning into GREAT as he did more complex looking kicks. Eventually, he let out one last powerful kick, which earned him a PERFECT graphic, and Salty was flung back by its shear force.

" _Kaishin no Ippatsu!_ " The holder cried as Jaune landed with a kneel on the ground and Salty writhed in pain before exploding, not even leaving behind any pixels. Realizing he was victorious, Jaune slapped his knee and stood back up, striking Mighty's pose triumphantly.

"ALRIGHT!" Jaune announced with glee at his victory.

" _Game Clear!_ " The Driver announced as the victory jingle began to play, a ring of faded game titles orbiting him before stopping on Mighty Action X, the icon turning fully visible and the words GAME CLEAR appearing on it.

* * *

Souta sat in anticipation, Jaune untransformed by his side, as Penny scanned him again with her strange stethoscope. The screen only showed Souta's face, no graphic to suggest Bugster Infection.

"Yep, everything's fine, you're as fit as a fiddle now!" Penny said with delight, much to the joy and relieve of the two boys.

"See, what did I tell you Souta!" Jaune said with a comforting hand on the young lad's shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks a ton Jaune!" Souta replied with a grin, Jaune offering his own as a response. "I saw you a little from inside that thing, you were totally awesome!" He added.

"Well I should expect nothing less from Ultra Player J." Penny said proud of her chosen Rider.

"Aww shucks you guys, it was no big deal, just doing my…" Jaune paused his obligatory humble speech as he caught what he was about to say. He was doing what, his job?

' _...Oh, that's right, I'm… not a Huntsmen…_ ' He thought, remembering that he was just a civilian, who under any other circumstances would've just made the situation worse. His expression fell for a moment, concerning his two companions a bit, but he quickly noticed and continued.

"Just uh… keeping my promise, remember, us gamers have to stick together, no matter what." He said, Souta nodding in agreement.

"Come on now Souta, your mother is probably still at the hospital, let's go let her know you're alright." Penny suggested before helping the boy to his feet along with Jaune.

* * *

"Hmm… you're right, he seems to be perfectly healthy now, but just to be safe we'd like to keep him overnight to run some further tests." One of the doctors said.

"Yes, of course doctor, and _this_ time Souta will stay put, right?" Souta's mother said in a pseudo stern tone.

"Yes, mom." Souta complied.

"Yes, Mrs. Suyama." Jaune replied as well.

"Good, but in the mean time, I believe you have some visitors Souta." The doctor said as he opened the door and his trio of friends rushed in.

" **Souta!** " They all cried in concern.

"Guys!" Souta said in shock at their sudden appearance.

"Idiot, the hell do you think you're doing!" One of the boys said.

"Why did you lie about not being sick anymore!?" The second boy added.

"We were seriously worried about you!" The girl stated, all three glaring angrily at him.

"Um… I'm sorry." Souta replied as he looked down sadly. "I just really wanted to go to the Lunch Party with you guys, I know you're all going to be too busy to play with me soon, so this was our last chance… but, I ended up screwing everything up, I'm sorry…" Souta said, feeling like he was about to cry. His friends expressions softened a bit, realizing what this was all about.

"… Geez, you really are an idiot Souta." The first boy replied, Souta looking up in surprise at the declaration.

"Do you seriously think we'd stop playing with you just because we're going to combat school?" The girl asked rhetorically, with a somewhat disappointed look on her face.

"But…" Souta began to reply.

"Sure we'll be training a lot more now, but we can still get together and play afterwards." The second boy stated.

"And remember Souta, you can always reapply next year." Mrs. Suyama interjected, making the three children beam.

"Yeah, that's right, and we can help you get ready!" The second boy offered.

"We train hard, then we play hard, just like always!" The first said.

"And next year, we'll all definitely go to combat school together!" The girl assured with a bright smile. Souta's eyes sparkled with wonder and gratitude at his friends before he looked down to hold back tears of joy.

"Thanks you guys, I promise I'll work really hard to get in, after all, us gamers have to stick together!" Souta repeated Jaune's words, making the blond smile with pride. However, that slime son turned sullen as he looked at the four hopeful children.

 _That's right, ever since I was a kid all I ever wanted to be was a Huntsmen… but I was just never good enough, even with the help of my family, and I sure didn't have friends like Souta's I could rely on…_

Jaune looked down at the Gamer Driver and Rider Gashat, it was only because of these items that he was able to help, he couldn't help but wonder what they could do in more "capable" hands.

"…Here Penny." Jaune said as he handed the items back to their original owner. "I'm sorry for borrowing them without asking… I know how important they are." He lamented, though his gamer side was reluctant to return such a fun and unique "game".

"Hmm, oh no Ultra Player J, these are yours now." Penny replied, handing the items back to him.

"Wait, what?" Jaune said, surprised by her response.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I'll be happy to answer them, just follow me." She insisted as she grabbed Jaune by the wrist and "guided" him out of the room.

"Whoa, hey, hey, grip, that's a strong grip…" He stammered as he struggled against her grip but eventually just submitted to following her, leaving everyone behind very confused and curious.

Penny dragged Jaune into an unused examination room that housed both a holographic screen for staff use and Penny's own personal computer.

"Just a moment please, I think the _other_ me is probably more suited to explain things to you." She stated as she began loading a program on her computer.

"Huh, what do you…?" Jaune began but was cut off by a familiar sounding tune. He looked passed Penny to see that the program she opened was in fact a beta version of the yet unreleased DoReMiFa Beat video game. "That's… a game?" He wondered out loud before Penny stood the side taking a deep breath before all of the emotion drained from her face and her eyes glowed a faint green.

" _Establishing Aura Link with virtual program. Preparing for complete system transfer. All systems scan… All Green._ " She said in a strangely robotic voice that began to freak Jaune out. Suddenly, Penny's face sprang back to light with her usually bubbly smile. "Costume Change!" She cried as she held her hands out at either side, her body glowing a bright yellow and what seemed to be green and pink musical notes emanating from her. Jaune had to shield his eyes from the bright light, allowing one of the notes to hit him and send him tumbling to the floor. She heard her crying in delight as she spun around and inched closer and closer to the screen, and once she was there her body faded into a ball of light and entered the computer, appearing inside now dressed in a strange, frilly, yellow and pink outfit, her orange locks replaced with bubble gum pink hair. Once she was settled into her new form, she struck a cutesy pose.

"Huh… AHHH!?" Jaune cried in shock as he ran up to the screen and stared at the character inside.

"Penny is my 3D, real life identity! In here I'm Poppi Pipopapo, very nice to meet you!" She said the last part in a sing-songy voice as she waved at him from behind the screen cheerfully.

"What the… WHAT!" Jaune was at a loss for words, to think that he was actually talking to a game character, that not five seconds ago was a real living person.

"I knew you'd pull through, I have a really good eye!" Poppi happily praised herself. She then reached beyond the screen and pulled out a new background, ten numbered game titles filling the screen one by one. "Clear _all~_ of these games and become the super Huntsman that saves humanity!" Poppi declared as she appeared on the other screen in the room. "Kamen Rider… Ex-Aid~!" She cried pumping her fist at the screen.

"…Wha?" Jaune mumbled, beyond flabbergasted, this was truly the strangest day of his entire life.

 _See you Next game_

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there you guys have, I know I kind of have this habit of sticking close to the canon when it comes to battles and to get the plot going, but I'm sure with all of brave kid's ideas we'll stray slightly from canon enough to give you something interesting to read. Anyway, you'll probably not see an update to this until 2017, I kind of want to get a chapter done on one of my other fics first, then I'll come back to this one. Still though, I should update this pretty regularly as long as I stay in contact with brave kid, so if you liked this, don't you worry, more will be on the way soon. Well, I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and if I don't see you before then, have a Happy New Year as well, and don't forget to R &R please.**


	2. Welcome to Beacon!

**A/N: Hey guys, MCN here bringing you the second chapter of this story that you all apparently hate… Seriously though, I was surprised by the rather negative reception the first chapter got, but I completely understand your criticisms and I will try my very best to keep them in mind moving forward. That being said, without further a do, let's get to the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Kamen Rider Ex-Aid**

* * *

 **Welcome to Beacon!**

At the Atlas Ministry of Defense, General Ironwood was sitting at his desk watching the footage of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid's victory over the Salty Bugster, an indignant look on his face the whole way through. Suddenly, the screen informed him of a call being made to him; a quick check of the caller ID and Ironwood hit the answer icon, the image of the Genm Corp. CEO Daniel Negro appearing on the screen.

"You wanted to speak to me General?" Negro said; he to was sitting at his own desk at the Genm Crop HQ.

"Would you care to explain this to me Mr. Negro?" Ironwood said with an edge in his voice as he sent the video file to him.

"Well, I see the transformation system's first test run was a complete success." Negro replied nonchalantly.

"Don't be coy with me Negro." Ironwood snapped. "You promised us _viable_ _weapons_ against this new threat, not this… retro arcade nonsense!"

"I can understand your concern General, but the Genm Corporation is first and foremost a video game development company, we simply… played to our strengths when carrying out your request." Negro said in a professional tone.

"This _isn't_ a game Negro!" Ironwood shouted, slamming a clenched fist onto his table.

"Oh I'm afraid it _is,_ general." Negro replied firmly. "Need I remind you that the Bugster Virus originated from corrupted _game_ data, and as you can see they share much more in common with the antagonists of our games than any Creature of Grimm. This isn't a war General, it is a game, and if we don't play by the rules, then we can't win." Ironwood sat back in his chair, a stressed sigh escaping his lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"But what about finding candidates?" He said after a brief moment to collect himself.

"No need to worry about that, Genm Corp prides itself on creating good quality games that everyone can enjoy, any trained warrior that you plan to give the remaining Drivers to will have no problem making full use of them." Negro assured.

"…I will hold you to that Mr. Negro." Ironwood replied as he returned his gaze to the screen. "But there is one other matter that concerns me."

"Oh, and what would that be?" Negro wondered. Without saying a word, Ironwood hit another icon on the screen and the smiling face of Poppi Pipopapo appeared in a separate window.

"Hi~ President Negro!" She cheerfully greeted with an enthusiastic wave.

"Oh, Poppi Pipopapo, good work finding a suitable candidate on such short notice." Negro praised like a parent to his child.

"I assume this is your doing as well." Ironwood stated.

"We did add a few minor alterations to Ms. Polendina's programing when she was here retrieving the Gamer Driver." Negro admitted.

"Minor alterations, look at her, you turned the culmination of all of Atlas' research and engineering into a… vocaloid!" Ironwood shouted, Penny striking a cute pose as if to emphasize the point.

"I promise you we left all of her original functions well in tacked, we just felt that this form would make it easier for her to guide the players through the game, after all, wasn't that her job in the first place?" Negro explained.

"Regardless, that doesn't excuse you tampering with Atlas Military property without proper authorization, if the council finds out about this…!" Ironwood's tirade was interrupted by the soft sound of Poppi sniffling.

"General, am I… really just a piece of property to you?" She wept, burring her face into her hands.

"Aw, look, you made her cry General, you cruel, cruel man you." Negro said mockingly.

"Ah, no, Penny I just… what I meant was… I don't think your father would…" Ironwood stammered to save face, but every attempted explanation was met with more and more sobbing. He sighed in defeat, leaning back in his chair. "Penny, are you comfortable with these… upgrades?"

"Yes~, it's a lot easier to talk to people like this!" Poppi replied, her mood doing a complete 180. "And just like President Negro said, all of the functions Papa made me with are still there!"

"*sigh*, Then I suppose it's fine if this just stays between us." Ironwood lamented, much to Poppi's delight.

"General… THANK YOU~!" She cried as she suddenly popped out of the screen and glomped the decorated general.

"Gah, what in the…?" Ironwood gasped in surprise.

"We've also equipped her with the same Data-Matter Conversion Software used in the Rider Gashats." Negro casually explained.

"…I can see that." Ironwood indignantly replied as he attempted to pry Poppi off of him.

"Well, if that is all I really must get back to work, I'll let you know once the rest of the Gashats are ready for use, end transmission." Negro said before the call ended, leaving Ironwood to deal with the hyperactive android on his own.

Once he hung up, Negro's face dropped from a coy smirk to an almost annoyed frown, the General was such an inconvenience to him.

"So, the game has finally started." A young voice said. Negro looked up at his "guest", a tall young man with black pants and matching hoody, the hood up with his face covered by the high caller and a pair of black sunglasses. He was casually leaning against the wall, a Genm Play Pad in his hands and his eyes firmly glued to it.

"That it has, so I suggest you return to Vale before your little "friends" wonder where you are." Negro said. "And remember, keep this whole endeavor to yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, mum's the word, I got it." The man waved the order off, never looking up from his game as he started to leave the office.

"I mean it boy, not a word about this little game to anyone, and especially not a word about our association." Negro said more sternly, his nostrils flaring for a moment in anger.

" _Trust_ me, I'm in no hurry to let the cat out of the bag." The boy said as he finally looked back at Negro. "…That would just ruin all the fun." He scoffed, a sly smirk hidden behind his caller. With that the boy silently excused himself from the room, Negro glaring in anger for a moment before calming down and returning to his work.

* * *

"Stage Clear" the brightly lit screen said upon the completion of yet another level. Jaune sighed, normally he'd be ecstatic to finally be playing the long awaited Mighty Action X, or any game made by Genm Corp, but he simply had too much on his mind at the moment to really get in the spirit. Jaune laid lazy on his bed, his hands along with his Play Pad falling to his sides as he looked over to the desk by his side, the Gamer Driver and Mighty Action X Gashat placed just beside his alarm clock. He thought back to the recent events, of how his friend got infected by some new and dangerous virus and he somehow managed to save him, about how that girl was apparently a synthetic android that for some reason had the ability to turn into a game character, but most importantly, he though about what she had said to him.

' _…The Gamer Driver is DNA locked, the first person who uses it is the_ only _person who can use it, so like it or not, you're Kamen Rider Ex-Aid~_ …'

"Kamen Rider… that's just nuts, I'm not even a Huntsmen!" Jaune cried, messing up his already unkempt hair in frustration. It was still incredible that he actually managed to defeat the Bugster, but was it really ok to put all of this responsibility on some flunky who couldn't even make it into combat school. He reached over and took the Rider Gashat in his hands, staring at the label as he remembered something else he was told.

"Clear all the games huh, if I remember correctly there were 10 of them, including Mighty Action X, does that mean there are only 9 Bugsters left? Doesn't exactly sound like a threat to all of humanity." Jaune mused; perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to pull off after all. Suddenly, he heard his scroll ring, bringing him out of his thoughtful gaze. He fumbled to get it open before checking the caller ID, instead of a name it was just a little gif of Poppi Pipopapo, a character from DoReMiFa Beat and Penny's alter ego. "Oh boy, what now?" He dreaded as he hit the answer icon.

"Good morning Jaune~!" Poppi greeted brightly as her image appeared on the screen.

"Uh, hey Pen, er, Poppi, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" Jaune said awkwardly.

"Right, I'm here to tell you that _all_ of the arrangements have been made for you to start attending Beacon Academy this semester!" She informed him happily.

"Oh good, thanks for letting me know… WAIT, SAY WHAT!?" Jaune exclaimed, his eyes widening to the size of saucers and his grip on his scroll suddenly tightening.

"Yep, it's all set, you just have to be on the air ship on the first of the month at 7 o'clock sharp." She instructed, completely ignoring Jaune's flabbergasted response.

"Whoa, whoa whoa whoa, h-hold on a second here!" Jaune pleaded. " _Me_ , g-g-go to Beacon?"

"That's right!"

"The Huntsmen Academy?"

"Uh huh!"

"Considered to be the most prestigious, most demanding, most outstanding Huntsmen Academy in all of Remnant, _that_ Beacon!?"

"Geez, how many times are you going to make me say it, is the connection alright?" She said with an annoyed pout, knocking on the screen of Jaune's scroll.

"B-b-but I can't go to Beacon, I-I haven't even been to combat school!" Jaune protested.

"No, no, you don't have to worry about that, Beacon's Headmaster is fully aware of the situation and has in fact insisted that Kamen Rider Ex-Aid be stationed at his school, isn't that great~!" Poppi rebuked.

"But… I thought you said that this thing with the Bugsters was supposed to be top secret, won't people get suspicious that some flunky klutz got accepted into Beacon?" Jaune inquired.

"Like. I. Said. It's all been taken care of, in fact, if my calculations are correct you should be getting it any moment now." Poppi assured.

"Getting? Getting what?" Jaune asked, though Poppi merely winked playfully as a reply.

"JAAAAUUNNNNEE!" The boy heard a familiar voice cry out to him.

"Mom?" Jaune said with concern before bolting out of his room and down the stairs. "Mom, what happened, what's wrong!?" Before he even made it completely down the stairs, he was tackled with full force by a head of long, blond hair that matched his own. "Gah, mom?"

"Oh my goodness Jaune, this is fantastic, I'm so proud of you…!" Mrs. Arc said, her voice muffled from being buried in her son's chest.

"M-Mom, hold on, what are you talking about?" Jaune inquired as he lightly pushed the petit woman away from him.

"Jaune, you're not going to believe this, _you_ have been accepted into Beacon Academy!" Mrs. Arc cried in delight as she showed off the letter in her hands.

"Eh, how did you… I mean, w-what do you mean I got accepted into Beacon, that's impossible, ha, ha." He chuckled awkwardly, feigning ignorance.

"Believe me, I would've thought the same thing not five minutes ago, but look!" She replied, handing the letter to him.

"This is… from the Genm Corporation?" Jaune said quizzically, recognizing their logo at the top right of the page.

"Just read it!" Mrs. Arc said excitedly.

"Ok, ok!" Jaune surrendered as he began reading contents of the letter.

 _Dear Mr. Jaune Arc_

 _We here at the Genm Corporation, in association with the Vale Academic Admissions Committee, are pleased to inform you that you are being offered a full scholarship to the world-renowned Beacon Academy._

 _You're consistent victories at our sponsored tournaments have shown that you are a young man with superb tactical cunning, are capable of quick and critical thinking in a pressure situation, and possess the tenacity to face and complete any challenge presented to you. The Headmaster of Beacon Academy agrees that these are qualities truly befitting a Huntsmen and he would be delighted to have someone such as yourself attending his prestigious school._

"…Full… Scholarship…" Jaune said incredulously.

"I know, isn't this amazing Jaune, oh I should've known your talents wouldn't go unrecognized." Mrs. Arc cooed as she hugged her son from the side, the boy still frozen in shock. "Just wait till your father gets home, he's going to be so proud of you, oh and of course we need to call your sisters, this calls for a big celebration!" She continued as Jaune just took everything in. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that this was all just a cover, a ruse to let Kamen Rider Ex-Aid be stationed at Beacon despite Jaune Arc's ineptitude in all aspects of being a Huntsman. And yet, despite this, he couldn't care less.

"I'm… going to Beacon." He said it, the words he never thought he would ever get to say. "I'm going to Beacon." Who cares about the circumstances, this was it, his life long dream was finally within his grasp. "I AM GOING TO BEACON!"

* * *

"Ugh, I'm going to be sick…" Jaune complained as he leaned over the toilet bowl. As promised he was on the airship to Beacon at 7 o'clock sharp, after a heartwarming goodbye from his entire family of course. However, within minutes of take off, Jaune was brutally reminded of his chronic motion sickness, he already managed to puke a bit in the viewing deck, and had just puked a second and third time into the toilet. Jaune breathed heavily, trying to stabilize himself.

"…Ok, you're all good now Jaune, just stay put, don't look out any windows, and you'll be fine." He said to himself, resigning to having to spend the whole trip in the bathroom. He sat down on the toilet, his stomach calming down a bit, he sighed at how pathetic he must have seemed as his hand grazed over the handle of his sword, the weight of the weapon hanging from his belt unfamiliar and a little hindering. He unstrapped it and put it on his lap, partially unsheathing it to marvel at its damaged, slightly rusted glory.

Crocea Mors, the sword wielded by his great-great-grandfather during the Great War, the treasured heirloom of the Arc Family; with the spring semester fast approaching there was no way they could commission a proper weapon for him, so Jaune had to make due, not that he was complaining. Ever since he was a child he had admired the weapon, the tool that carved the Arc name into history, the battles it must have seen, the lives it must have helped to protect, and now it was his. Jaune couldn't help but smile at this thought before sheathing the blade and hooking it back on his belt. From there he cleared a few more levels on Mighty Action X before he heard of a voice over the intercom.

" _Students, we will now be beginning our descent into the Beacon Academy courtyard, be sure to have all personal items on your person when exiting the ship._ "

"Alright, this is it, the moment you've waited your whole life for, look out Beacon, here comes Jaune Arc!" He gave himself a pep talk before leaving the bathroom. Unfortunately, the moment he looked back out the windows he felt nauseous, and the turbulence from the ship landing didn't help at no time flat he needed to puke again, this time however he held it in long enough for him to rush out of the ship and relieve himself into a nearby trash bin. He heard some of his fellow new students let out amused chuckles or disgusted groans, but none of them gave the boy a second thought, he didn't really know how to feel about that. Regardless, he straightened up, popped a mint in his mouth to rid himself of the vomit breath, and followed the rest of his future classmates into the courtyard.

"…Whoa!" Jaune breathed in awe at the sight of Beacon Academy. It seemed much larger then any picture or rendering in a game ever made it look, the tallest tower seeming to reach all the way up and touching the sky. The whole area gave off the feeling of a royal palace, and yet it was to be his home for the next four years. Jaune took a deep breath to stabilize his excited nerves.

"Alright, first things first, gotta get to the auditorium for orientation." Jaune declared before marching through the courtyard.

* * *

"Eww Yang, he actually puked on your shoes!" A red headed teen cried in disgust at her friend's description of her ship ride to Beacon.

"Well, to be fair, it's more like he puked _near_ my shoes, but one careless step later and I spend the next ten minutes trying to get rid of the smell." Yang, a blonde haired, buxom young lady replied, though it did little to relieve her friend's disgust.

"Wait, is _that_ what that smell is, I thought that was just Sal's brain frying." A tall, brown haired boy quipped, referring to their dark haired, bespectacled companion who had his eyes firmly glued to some flashcards.

"Wow, that was so funny I forgot to laugh." Sal replied as he simply switched to a new flashcard.

"You mind putting those flashcards away Sal, you're starting to make _me_ feel nervous." Yang said.

"Well maybe you should be, if initiation is going to be as intense as the rumors say it's going to be, I have to go over every single team tactic we've learned at Signal." Sal insisted.

"Dude, relax, just shoot to kill and snag whatever it is we're supposed to snag, it's easy." The other boy said with a laid back smile, putting a friendly arm over Sal's shoulder.

"No, you guys don't get it, I _have_ to become team leader, if I don't my parents are going to come here, drag my butt back to Patch, and stick me at the register of my dad's dust shop!" Sal stated, shrugging his friend's arm off and frantically looking through his flashcards.

"Come on Sal, you're parents know you worked really hard to get into Beacon, they understand that this is what you want, no way they'll make you drop out just because you're not team leader." The other female of their group assured.

"Well… better safe then sorry." Sal rebuked, returning full attention to his flashcards. Suddenly, he let out a few coughs into his fist, nobody noticing the black "rash" momentarily appearing on the back of his hand.

"Eh, forget it guys, he's a lost cause." The other boy said, waving off his friend's concerns.

"Speaking of lost causes, are you sure it was ok to ditch your sister like that Yang?" The girl asked.

"Eh, Ruby will be fine, a little "sink or swim" time will do her some good." Yang replied, confident that her sister could tough it out.

* * *

"…And, I'm back at the courtyard, _great_." Jaune lamented, his shoulders slumped in disappointment. He had been walking in and around campus for what felt like forever and he had yet to find anything that even resembled an auditorium. "Geez, why couldn't giant places like this have maps lying around like in games?" He said as he gave up on his search for the moment, deciding to sit and rest. As he walked over to the benches, what seemed to be a small, singed crater in the middle of the courtyard caught his attention.

' _Uh, was that there the last time I was here?_ ' Jaune wondered to himself, suddenly doubting whether or not he was in fact in the same courtyard. However, his focus was quickly shifted when the familiar sound of computer-generated sound effects hit his eardrums. He looked over and saw, sitting on a bench, a young girl, somewhat younger than one would expect a student at Beacon to be. She wore a black dress with matching stockings and combat boots, around her shoulders was a bright red cape with a hood that was currently down. The girl's hair seem to match the rest of her attire, it was mostly black but faded into a dark red near the tips, in her hands was a scroll turned horizontally, the figures of two warriors fighting clearly visible from the other side of the transparent screen.

"Come on, almost, almost… no, no, no, no, yes, yes…!" The girl mumbled as her fingers tapped frantically on the controls, her eyes narrowing to help her focus.

' _Hmm, she looks like she's having trouble, I wonder what she's playing._ ' He thought as he walked over to her. The girl didn't seem to notice him approach her; the boy's tall stature allowed him to easily peak over and see what she was playing.

' _Koga the Blazing Ninja vs Seppuku of the Rusted Blades huh, guess that makes this Kung Fu Ninja Slayer Ultimate Death Battle Mobile, final boss of the classic ladder if I'm not mistaken._ ' He immediately recognized the game.

"Come on, come on, come on…" The girl repeated like a mantra, her opponent's HP was only about halfway depleted, while her own character couldn't survive a single hit more, forcing her to resort to jumping around and teleporting across the field to avoid that last fatal strike, all while looking for an opportunity to counter attack. "Ohhhh almost…"

"…You should've blocked that." Jaune said out loud. The girl let out a surprised shriek, Jaune responding with his own, his attempt to back away resulting in him tripping over his own feet and landing in the still warm crater. "Ugh…" he groaned in pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry, y-you just surprised me… hey, you're the guy who threw up on the ship." The girl frantically apologized before recognizing the blond, but returned her attention to her scroll upon hearing her character cry out in pain. "Huh, AAHH, no, Koga!" She cried, looking dejectedly at Seppuku laughing cockily over Koga's dead body. "Aw man, I really thought I had it that time, thanks a lot Vomit Boy!" She said bitterly before returning to her seat on the bench.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you lose." Jaune apologized as he clumsily got up from the crater.

"Man, it took me forever to finally get to Seppuku." She whined, more dejected than annoyed or angry.

"…Uh, if you want, I could get you back to that fight." Jaune offered. The girl eyed him suspiciously, making Jaune back off a bit. "I-I mean, only if you want, or I could just leave and never talk to you again, that's fine to." He said awkwardly, regretting ever bothering her in the first place. The girl let out a tired sigh.

"Knock yourself out." She said, handing the scroll to him.

"Oh, uh, thanks, I won't let you down." He assured before sitting next to her on the bench. The screen had returned to the character selection, Koga the Blazing Ninja having already been selected. Jaune took a moment to note the settings. "Classic Ladder on Hard mode huh…" He said before cracking a cocky smile. "Koga's the protagonist of the franchise, so he's the easiest to use while still being pretty effective, not a bad choice for a higher difficulty ladder… but then again, where's the fun in that." He said as he scrolled through the other combatants.

"Hey, what are you…" The girl said as she watched the curser on the screen move from her favorite character to one that was on the very far corner of the screen. "Timothy, you're choosing Timothy?" She cried in disbelief. "But he's a total joke character, he doesn't even have a real Ultimate Skill!"

"Sure he's difficult to use effectively," Jaune admitted. "But… they wouldn't have put him in if you couldn't win with him." He declared confidently. The girl was a little shaken by Jaune's sudden change in demeanor, was he really still the boy who just clumsily fell into her crater.

Without a second thought, Jaune hit start and the first match began, the girl looked rather troubled once she saw the character's clumsy, cringe worthy intro line, but as soon as Jaune started playing, her face went from concerned to amazed. Despite the character's goofy looking animations and unimpressive attacks, Jaune was defeating opponent after opponent with very little damage to himself, blocking when appropriate and countering with a simple punishment combo, never was he pinned against the wall or had to resort to cheep throws and special moves. In no time at all he had made it back to Seppuku, Timothy's cowering figure a stark contrast to Jaune's confidant smile. Despite Jaune's skill, Seppuku was still the final boss, so he was having some difficulty, loosing the first round but coming back strong to win the second.

"Whoa, I've never taken Seppuku to the third round on Hard before." She admitted.

"We're not out of the woods yet, this one's for all the marbles." Jaune said as he refocused, being careful to not make a single unnecessary button press. They were about even the whole time until Seppuku managed to break Timothy's guard and throw him, putting his HP in the red zone.

"Oh no!" The girl cried.

"Don't worry, it's not game over yet!" Jaune declared as he reengaged the adversary, wedeling down his health until they were even again.

"Throw him for the last bit of damage!" The girl suggested.

"Timothy's throw isn't fast enough, we have to stick to punishments!" Jaune stated as he continued blocking.

"Oh, it's so close!" The girl said at the edge of her seat.

"Wait for it… wait for it…" Jaune repeated until he finally guarded against the move he was waiting for. "Now!" With a few quick button presses, Timothy countered with a kick to the shin and then a punch to the face, sending the mighty Seppuku falling to the ground in slow motion as the rest of his HP was depleted.

" _Timothy Wins!_ " The game announced as the character flashed a cheezy smile and a thumbs up.

" **YEAH!** " The two cried in celebration as they both shot up from their seats.

"You did it, you actually beat Seppuku with… with _Timothy!_ " The girl cried as she snatched her scroll back, watching as Timothy's ladder ending began playing.

"Yeah well, to be honest it was a little harder then I expected, I could've beaten him a lot more easily if I was using my…" In his moment of humble bragging a thought just occurred to Jaune. "Wait… OH SHOOT, I BEAT THE BOSS FOR YOU!" He cried in despair, remembering that he was only supposed to get her back to the match. "…I-I'm really sorry, I just got really caught up in it and… wait that's not right, I even went and changed the character…" He frantically tried to explain himself, but was cut off by the girl letting out a chuckle.

"I'm Ruby." She introduced herself while holding out her hand.

"Uh, Jaune, nice to meet you." Jaune replied, shaking Ruby's hand.  
"Likewise, hey sorry about snapping at you back there, it's… kind of been a rough day." Ruby apologized.

"Rough day huh?" Jaune said before peaking passed her at the cater. "Uh, that crater over there wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it, would it?"

"Uh yeah… please don't ask." Ruby pleaded, slumping her head at the memory.

"Alright, whatever you say… Crater Face." Jaune said, peaking over to see her reaction.

"Hey, that explosion was an accident, I swear!" Ruby protested, Jaune chuckling at that she actually took his bluff.

"Consider that pay back for "Vomit Boy"." Jaune said.

"Mmm, fine, fair enough." Ruby agreed. The two shared a laugh at the strange turn their conversation took. "Oh no, look at the time!" Ruby cried as she saw the clock on her scroll. "We're gonna be late for the ceremony!"

"Oh yeah, about that, do you…" Jaune began to ask, but was cut off by Ruby grabbing him by the wrist and then, suddenly, dashing at inhuman speed across the courtyard and into the building. Jaune could only scream and flap helplessly in the air as he was dragged through the corridors of the main building. Suddenly, Ruby stopped, allowing Jaune some much-needed relief.

"Uh, do you have any idea where the auditorium is?" Ruby asked, completely lost.

"…Ugh, no clue…" Jaune said as he shook his head to try and rid himself of his dizziness.

"Darn!" Ruby said as she thought for a moment. "Hmm, oh, look, there are some more first years, we can just follow them." She said, pointing to a group of students she recognized from the ship and began following them.

"Oh, duh." Jaune face palmed, why didn't he think of that. Jaune walked with Ruby as they followed their fellow freshmen to the auditorium, which oddly enough was a completely separate building. Unsurprisingly, the auditorium was rather extravagant, circular building not even having a roof to let in the fresh air and morning sunlight, eliminating the need for artificial light sources.

They seemed to be among the stragglers, as the auditorium was already packed with students, some from their ship, others that came earlier, Jaune was pretty used to crowds with all of the Gaming Conventions and tournaments he's been to, but there was a much different air about this one, these weren't the nerdy gamers he was used to, but trained warriors that could harm him with little effort and kill him with even less. Jaune swallowed the knot in his throat, peaking over at Ruby to see her reaction; she seemed uncomfortable as well, but not nearly as nervous.

"Hey Ruby, over here!" A voice called to them. They searched the room and saw Yang waving over at her with a smile on her face.

"Oh good, there's Yang." Ruby said as she waved back.

"A friend of yours?" Jaune asked.

"Sister actually, come on, I'll introduce you." Ruby said enthusiastically before once again dragging Jaune with her, leaving the boy unable to protest.

"Hey little sister, glad to see you made it." Yang said.

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" Ruby replied with an annoyed glare. "How could you just ditch me like that?"

"I believe her exact words were "some sink or swim time would be good for you" or something like that." Yang's female friend replied before she got the chance to.

"Oh, so you knew that "sinking" was an option!" Ruby said, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Aw come on Ruby, it all worked it, didn't it?" Yang assured. "I mean you and "Vomit Boy" seem to have hit it off." She added, finally acknowledging Jaune's presence, though he kind of wished she hadn't.

"Wait, _this_ is "Vomit Boy"?" Yang's first male friend interjected.

"Uh, well, I tend to go by Jaune, actually." Jaune replied awkwardly.

"Well, "Jaune", I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister." Yang introduced almost pridefully. "This here's my buddy Puce, my gal pal Sienna, and our resident egg-head Sal." She introduced her comrades.

"Sup man?" Puce said as he held his fist out, Jaune flinching before recognizing the gesture.

"Uh, yeah, what's up, or, nothing much, really…" Jaune replied awkwardly as he returned the fist bump.

"He's kind of cute, though the whole puke thing is kind of a turn off." Sienna whispered to Ruby, the younger girl just raising an eyebrow in confusion. Just then, a coughing fit from Sal grabbed everyone's attention, the boy trying to his best to keep the coughing in his fist.

"Sal, seriously, do you need a cough drop or something?" Sienna offered once again.

"*cough*, I'm fine, *cough*, I just got a tickle in my throat, that's all." He insisted before returning to his flash cards.

"Since this morning?" Puce rebuked, catching Jaune's interest.

"I'm fine, really, just keep it down so I can study!" Sal shot back. Jaune thought back to what Poppi told him.

'… _In its early stages, the Bugster Virus manifests itself in a variety of different symptoms, no two cases are alike, so don't be afraid to recommend someone with a stuffy nose or a cough to get tested…'_

' _No way, don't tell me…_ ' Jaune fretted in his head, a panicked look on his face. However, before he could say anything, the sound of the sound system being used caught everyone's attention as a mature looking man with greyish white hair and small circular rim glasses took the stage.

"Ehem, I'll keep this brief…" He began to address the students. Jaune however didn't pay much attention to the speaker, his mind more concerned with how to deal with suddenly relevant responsibilities, looking over as Sal attempted to keep his coughing under control.

' _Oh man, this is bad, what if that guy really has the virus, what do I even do, who do I even tell?!_ ' He wondered frantically. ' _It's supposed to be top secret, right, I doubt I can just go to the nurses office and tell them one of the students could become a Grimm!_ ' As he pondered this fact, briefly turning his attention to the speaker, he realized something. ' _Wait, that's it, I'm not the only one who knows about the Bugsters, the Headmaster does too, I'll just tell him!_ ' He brightened up at his plan. Once said Headmaster had finished speaking, his accompanying teacher addressed the students.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight, tomorrow your initiation begins, _be ready_. You are dismissed." She said, ending the ceremony.

"Wait, wait, where is he going?" Jaune said as he watched Professor Ozpin leave.

"Geez, that was creepy." Puce remarked.

"Whatever, let's just get going." Sal stated indifferently before he began to follow the crowd outside.

"Wait, wait, where is _he_ going?" Jaune stated once he notices the group leaving. "H-hey, wait up!" Jaune called, but seemed to be ignored in the chaos. "Wait!"

"Don't be too upset Jaune, they're kind of a clique." Ruby tried to console Jaune as he hung his head in despair.

* * *

That night, in the ruins deep within the Emerald Forest, a pack of Beowolf Grimm were passing by, most didn't pay the structure any mind, and those who did merely scratched at the remaining pillars or banged their heads against them. Watching them from the highest most tower was a young man with unkempt, curly hair, swinging his left foot over the edge of his perch.

"Pallad," A voice called to him, gaining the young man's attention, he turned to see a strange green humanoid creature approach him, a white and red grim mask coving most of the top half of his face and brandishing what seemed to be a purple, handheld game system like device, two laser barrels protruding from one end while a chainsaw blade extended from the other. "I've completed the infection." The creature informed, the screen on his weapon filled with flashing binary code. "The number of our comrades will soon greatly grow." He said with satisfaction, as his own form seemed to glitch briefly.

"…Hey, Graphite," Pallad said. "I've been wondering, are we really the same as those things down there?" He inquired as he looked back down at the Beowolves, two of which were squabbling with each other.

"Huh, the hell are you talking about, we're nothing like those brainless, overgrown pests." Graphite replied indignantly.

"And yet you wear the same mask as them, and share their hatred for humanity." Pallad rebuked, much to Graphite's annoyance, mostly because he couldn't really refute that. Pallad smirked at his comrade's conflicted silence as he stood up from his seat. "It'd be wrong to say that we aren't Creatures of Grimm, and yet it wouldn't be correct to say that we _are_. What are Bugsters really, a Grimm creation, a human creation, I refuse to accept the easy answer that we are both, that would make for a really boring puzzle."

"There you go saying weird things again." Graphite replied with annoyance. "It doesn't really matter what we are or where we came from, in the end it will be us that will stand as the rulers of Remnant!" He insisted with a violent fervor. Pallad's amused smile didn't fade with his comrade's response.

"Well, I guess that's also a valid answer." He said playfully. "Come on, our new comrade is probably waiting for us." He said as he walked by and patted the Bugster's shoulder before leaving. Graphite peaked over at the Grimm, scoffing before following Pallad out of the ruins.

* * *

Jaune could barely sleep that night, the stress of initiation was bad enough, but coupled with the possibility of a Bugster patient and he was up the creek without a paddle. However, as he got ready in the morning, he calmed enough to think things through.

"Alright, get it together Jaune, it was a just a cough, no big deal, there are other ailments out there, I'm just… being paranoid." He tried to convince himself as he struggled with his armor. "Gotta focus Jaune, initiation, _initiation_ , teams, gotta find teammates." Jaune looked around for any prospective members, Ruby of course came to mind, but he assumed she would rather be with her sister Yang and he didn't exactly make a great first impression with his fellow blond.

"…Well, I was hoping we could be on a team together." Jaune heard a feminine voice state. He turned to see two girls speaking a couple lockers down; one of them was a tall redhead with her hair tied in a ponytail, while the other he recognized as Weiss Schnee, a girl that seemed to have it out for Ruby from what little interaction he saw from them the night before. Despite this, Jaune couldn't help but notice the nearly flawless beauty and grace that emanated from the girl, he had to admit, he wouldn't mind being on a team with her.

"Well that sounds grand." The other girl replied.

"Great!" Weiss replied enthusiastically. With that, Jaune took a deep breath.

"Alright, they're already talking about it, just gotta turn on the charm, do _not_ mention video games, and see if I can't snag myself a spot." He said before approaching the two girls.

"You know what else is great, _me_ , Jaune Arc, nice to meet you." Jaune said as suavely as he could, leaning against a locker in between the two girls.

"You again?" Weiss said with an annoyed glare, crossing her arms indignantly.

' _Ok, so she recognizes me, good sign, good sign._ ' Jaune justified to himself.

"Nice to meet you Jaune." The other girl said with a friendly wave.

"Yeah, yeah," Jaune replied as he rather rudely, and literally, shoved her to the side, he needed to keep his eye on the prize. "So, Weiss, I've been hearing rumors about _teams_ , I was thinking you and me would make a good one, what do you say?" Jaune offered in this pseudo cool guy image he made out for himself.

"Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so…" The other girl interjected.

"You don't say," Jaune cut her off, taking this new information in stride as he slid over to the other girl. "Well hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team." He said, continuing this "suave" pretense.

"Jaune, is it?" Weiss said as she pushed the two taller students apart. "Do you have _any_ idea who you are talking to?"

"Not in the slightest, Snow Angel." He admitted.

" _This_ is Pyrrha." Weiss introduced.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha greeted cheerfully once again.

"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum." Weiss seemed to brag for her.

"Never heard of it." Jaune admitted, was that a combat school, what was the name of the one near his home again?

"Ugh, she's won the Mistral Regional Tournaments four years in a row, a new record!" Weiss added.

' _Don't mention the Genm Grand Prix, don't mention the Genm Grand Prix, don't mention the Genm Grand Prix…_ ' Jaune chanted in his head, instead just cocking his head to the side to feign ignorance.

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" Weiss exclaimed, her patience wearing thin, however, _this_ factoid gained a reaction in the form of a star struck gasp from Jaune.

"That's _you_!" He squealed, finally recognizing the girl from his favorite morning cereal boxes. "They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!" He gushed, Pyrrha looking away bashfully at the praise.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool, sadly the cereal isn't very good for you." Pyrrha humbly conceited.

"So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask _her_ to be on your team?" Weiss asked.

"Well…" Jaune began, absentmindedly reaching for the Gamer Driver, however this just reminded him that that was all that was special about him, that he got into Beacon on a technicality, that's all. "…I guess not, sorry." Jaune admitted dejectedly, hanging his head in shame and embarrassment.

"Actually Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader." Pyrrha said, putting a comforting hand on Jaune's shoulder to hopefully cheer him up.

"Really?" Jaune said with genuine surprise. "What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Well…" Pyrrha began, but was cut off by the intercom.

" _Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation, again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately._ " The familiar voice of Glynda Goodwitch said.

"Well then, we best be going Pyrrha." Weiss stated, completely ignoring Jaune as she walked off.

"It was nice meeting you." Pyrrha said as she followed.

"Uh, yeah, likewise." Jaune replied, watching in disappointment as the two girls walked off.

"Having some trouble there, "Lady Killer"?" Yang said sarcastically as she and Ruby approached him.

"I don't understand, my dad said all woman look for is confidence, where did I go wrong?" He lamented the failure of his father's advice.

""Snow Angel" probably wasn't the best start." Yang replied as she followed after the rest of the students.

"Come on Jaune, let's go." Ruby said with an encouraging pat on the back as they both made their way to Beacon Cliff.

* * *

"…Well, this is just great, not even five minutes into initiation… and I'm already stuck in a tree!" Jaune complained as he struggled with the red and gold spear that pined him into the bark by his hood. Of course he was thankful for the save, otherwise he would probably be a stain on the ground right now, but initiation was still underway, so he needed to get down. "Alright, come on, just gotta… wiggle it out a little… come on, come on, let go already!" He pleaded with the weapon.

Just then, he heard the sound of rustling bushes, fearing the worst as he peeked down around him. He was relieved to see another person, the familiar annoyed face of Weiss as she looked up at him. Jaune just smiled and waved back awkwardly, not exactly his most flattering moment, he fully expected some snooty, sarcastic comment. However, Weiss apparently didn't even feel he was worth that and just turned her back on him without saying a word.

"By no means does this make us friends." He heard her say, looking passed the bushes to see Ruby be dragged away by her hood.

"You came back!" The red hooded girl cried with joy, completely unaware of her friend's plight.

"Hey wait, come back, who's gonna get me down from here!" He pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. He went back to struggling with the spear before he heard of a familiar voice call out his name.

"Jaune." The blond looked down to see Pyrrha, the owner of the spear standing beneath the tree looking up at him. "Do you… have any spots left on your team?" She inquired playfully.

"Very funny." Jaune replied bitterly, crossing his arms and turning away. However, the attitude dissipated quickly, offering his savior an appreciative smile, which she seemed to return.

"Hold still." She instructed. She raised her hand and suddenly the spear detached itself from the tree, Jaune himself still attached to it, before slowly lowering him to the ground.

"Whoa…" Jaune breathed in amazement before he landed safely on the ground, the spear floating in place as he unhooked his hood from it. "Uh, yeah, so, thanks for save, and the second one to." Jaune thanked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to impose." Pyrrha apologized.

"Hey, I'm not complaining, beats being a pancake." Jaune quipped. "So uh, relic, temple, find, get… where did he say it was again?"

"Well, I believe he said it was in the northern end of the forest, and judging by the position of the sun, north from here would be that way." Pyrrha stated, pointing north.

"Alright, that way it is then." Jaune complied.

"Lead the way." Pyrrha said, motioning for Jaune to take the lead.

"Huh, r-really?" Jaune said quizzically. Pyrrha just smiled and nodded her approval. "Uh… ok then, um, onward to greatness!" Jaune declared dramatically, only to realize just how cheezy and lame he must've sounded.

With a sigh he began to traverse the forest, Pyrrha close behind. Even he knew that his own sense of direction wasn't the best, so he tried to just keep going straight north, awkwardly stumbling over any bush, rock, or tree that hindered him.

"…So, how much further is it again?" Jaune inquired, already getting sick of this forest.

"We've been walking for a good while, we should be there soon." Pyrrha replied.

"Great." Jaune said. Suddenly, he heard a loud booming sound in the distance, followed by a more rapid fire blasting sound. "What was that?"

"Gunfire, it seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy." Pyrrha deduced.

"The enemy?" Jaune said quizzically.

"The Creatures of Grimm, there should be quite a few within this forest, we best stay on guard." Pyrrha suggested, brandishing her own sword and shield, finally taking the lead in preparation for battle.

"On guard, right…" Jaune replied apprehensively, remembering what Poppi had told him.

'… _The Bugster Virus is a secret ok, so please only use the Gamer Driver for a Bugster, you'll have to rely on your own power for ordinary Grimm and sparing…_ '

' _Easier said than done… can I really do it?_ ' He thought as he grasped the handle of his Crocea Mors, the fact that he will have to actually draw it in battle suddenly weighing down on him.

"Jaune, look, I think this is it." Pyrrha called back to him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Huh, really?" Jaune replied. He walked over and exited the thick forest into a flat, grassy plain, waiting there for them was what seemed to be a large, circular ceremonial alter, old and in disrepair with moss and other vegetation growing around it. However, what really caught Jaune's attention was that they were not alone, standing near the alter was a familiar head of dark hair and pale green clothing.

"Hey, that's… uh, Sal!" Jaune called out as he and his partner approached. The bespectacled boy turned at the sound of his name.

"Oh hey, uh, Jaune was it?" He replied, a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Yeah, uh, how are…" Jaune began to inquire about his condition, but was interrupted by Sal placing a rough hand on his shoulder.

"Great, you're my partner, now come on we need to get a relic and head back." Sal instructed.

"Huh, uh actually…" Jaune began, only for Sal to see his point by looking passed the blond and seeing Pyrrha give a friendly wave.

"Oh, you're already paired…" Sal realized, immediately backing off.

"Yeah, sorry." Jaune awkwardly apologized.

"Can you not find a partner?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, I've walked all over this stupid forest, but I haven't even encountered so much as a Grimm." Sal said. "Now I finally found the Relics, but I can't grab one until I partner up." He punctuated his rant with a cough.

"Huh, still… have that cough huh?" Jaune pointed out.

"I'm fine, just a little sick, I'll take something _after_ initiation." Sal insisted stubbornly.

"Hey Sal, Jaune!" A familiar voice called to them. They looked up to a nearby hill and saw none other than Yang waving down at them, another girl with long black hair and a bow in her hair, presumably her partner, standing next to her. "Looks like you beat us here!" She said as she and her companion approached.

"Aw man, you're already partnered too?" Sal said with disdain.

"Yup, this here's my partner Blake, Blake, this here's my old pal, Sal." Yang introduced, her face visibly lighting up at her own pun.

"Uh, right, it's nice to meet you." Blake said with awkward courtesy.

"It would've been nicer if I met you half an hour ago." Sal groaned with a cough.

"Wait, you mean you still don't have a partner?" Yang asked.

"*Cough*, No Yang, *cough, cough*, no I don't." Sal replied with an annoyed glare.

"Oh, uh… bummer." Yang said, she knew how troubled Sal must have been, but didn't know what else to say.

"…Heads uuuuuuppp!" Everyone heard. They searched for the source of the cry and eventually found it to be coming from above; everyone was surprised to see Ruby and Weiss falling from the sky, Ruby gripping onto Weiss' wrist as they both screamed in terror.

"Ruby?!" Yang exclaimed.

"Weiss Schnee?" Blake added.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune stated.

"Got it!" Pyrrha replied instantly as she transformed her Milo into spear form and hurled it like a javelin at the falling girls. Just as it did with Jaune, the weapon pierced through Ruby's hood and pinned them safely to a nearby tree, much to everyone's relief.

"Thanks!" Ruby said.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha replied.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asked incredulously.

"I…" Yang began, but was cut off by a livid grunt from Weiss.

"You insufferable little red _dolt_ , who in there right mind would just _jump_ off of a Nevermore like that!" She scolded as she struggled to hang on to Ruby's arm.

"Well I'm sorry, would you have rather just stayed up there?!" Ruby shot back as she unpinned herself from the tree, allowing both girls to land safely on the ground.

"Well you could've at least run your "plan" by me before just going off and…" Weiss began before the girls just began talking over each other in a heated argument.

"Wait… did she say Nevermore?" Sal realized, the creature letting out a loud cry as if to confirm its presence.

"Oh no, I think it's circling back!" Jaune said as he began to panic.

Suddenly, they heard the moan of an Ursa followed by a loud explosion that shook the trees. Suddenly, an Ursa came bursting from the forest, flailing around before what seemed to be a pink blast made it stop dead in its tracks.

"Yeeehaaaa!" An orange haired girl in pink and white clothing cried as she rode on the monster's shoulders before it fell forward, dead. "Aww, it's broken." She said dejectedly after rolling off. Just then, a young man with long black hair and oriental looking green clothing came rushing to her side, looking out of breath.

"Nora… please… don't ever do that again." The boy pleaded as he tried to catch his breath.

"No promises Ren." Nora replied playfully.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I…" Yang once again tried to answer, but another cry from the Nevermore cut her off. "Well Sal, you're the one who studied the whole ride here, what do you we do?" Yang asked, lowing in a fighting stance getting ready to fight.

"Uh, well, lets see…" Sal mumbled as the thought.

"Well first we need to get out of this plain, we're sitting ducks out here!" Ruby exclaimed as she brandished her weapon in sniper form.

"Yes, besides, our mission is to get an artifact and get back to the cliffs, if we leave now we can loose it in the forest." Pyrrha added as she recovered her spear.

"Run and live, that's in idea I can get behind." Jaune said with relief that he wouldn't have to do battle with the flying Grimm. However, Sal wasn't as enthusiastic.

' _Run, I can't run, even if we lose the Nevermore it's going to come back here since it knows that so many people are gathering in this spot now. And I can't take an artifact until I find a partner, so I'll have to come back anyway… can I really beat a Nevermore with just one other person, can I really complete the mission and prove that I can be a leader… damn it, why, why did this have to happen!_ ' He cursed in his head. Suddenly, he began coughing violently, so much so that he fell over on his hands in knees in pain.

"Sal?" Yang said as she kneeled down next to him, rubbing his back in comfort. "Sal, you ok!?" She cried with concern, the longer he coughed the more it seemed like he was having trouble breathing.

"He's sick!" Ren said as he and Nora rushed up to them. "We need to get him out of here now!" He stated. He and Yang attempted to help him up and that's when Jaune saw it, the black blobs of the Bugster "rash" appearing behind his ear.

"Oh no… everyone, get back!" Jaune warned, pulling Pyrrha and Ruby behind him.

"Huh, the heck are you saying, he needs help!?" Yang rebuked, refusing to abandon her friend. However, suddenly Sal's coughing stopped, replaced by a scream of pain as the Bugster "rash" spread all over his body, the feel of the blob like growths making Yang and Ren back off. The growths then began to grow and take shape, making everybody leap back to avoid getting crushed. Now, towering over them was what seemed to be… a giant black monster truck, the front "bumper" and "headlights" taking the form of a Grimm mask.

"Did your friend just turn into a giant monster truck!?" Blake exclaimed with great confusion.

"Sal!" Yang cried for her friend, but received no answer. The Bugster Union moved its wheels about, looking more like a four-legged animal then a giant vehicle. It revved its engine twice before driving forward, forcing Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ruby to leap out of the way to avoid being run over.

"What is that, a Grimm?" Ruby inquired out loud.

"Uh, sort of!" Jaune replied, immediately slapping himself for revealing he was familiar with the Bugster.

"Wait, are you saying _you_ know what that… thing is?" Weiss said.

"Who cares what it is, what did it do with Sal?!" Yang interjected, grabbing Jaune by the collar as if to choke the answer out of him.

"Uh, well, it's a little hard to explain…" Jaune stuttered before the Bugster Union circled back, forcing the group to disperse, Yang pulling Jaune to safety. "…I-it's sort of like… that thing _is_ Sal." He revealed.

"…What!?" Yang exclaimed incredulously, tightening her grip.

"O-or he's just a part of it, or like, trapped inside it? …I don't really understand it either… but I can help him…!" Jaune insisted.

"You can?" Yang finally let the poor boy go.

"Yeah, I've sort of done it before." Jaune admitted.

"So, what do we do?" Ren asked.

"Just keep the Nevermore busy if it comes back," Jaune instructed as he stepped forward, away from the group.

"Wait, are you saying you're going to try and fight that thing alone?" Blake said in disbelief.

"Jaune, that's crazy!" Ruby added.

"Just trust me, I've got this." Jaune assured as he pulled out the Gamer Driver and strapped it on his waist. He was a little apprehensive, he was told to keep all of this a secret if possible, but this was an emergency, he just had to go for it. He twirled the Rider Gashat on his fingers and then pressed the button.

" _Mighty Action X!_ " The Gashat announced as the Game Area expanded throughout the plain, grabbing the attention of the Bugster Union that was thrashing about.

"What the…" Weiss said as she witnessed the change in the area, the Chocolate Blocks being spread throughout the area.

"I'm not the only one seeing this right?" Blake voiced her own disbelief.

"Ohh, chocolate!" Nora said as she reached for one of the blocks.

"Nora, don't." Ren ordered as he grabbed her by the collar. A light breeze blew through the plain, a confident smirk gracing Jaune's features that only Ruby noticed.

"Henshin!" Jaune cried as he swung the Gashat around dramatically then placed it into the Gamer Driver.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Driver sang as Jaune selected his avatar, transforming into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 1. The crowd was speechless, some in awe, some in shock, and some just in exasperation.

"…You have _got_ to be kidding me." Yang said incredulously at the sight of the goofy looking Level 1 form.

"…Ahhh, he's so cute, he's so cute!" Nora cried, giddy with childish glee as she instantly freed herself from Ren's grasp and hugged Ex-Aid as if he were some sort of theme park mascot.

"Gah, h-hey, cut it out…!" Ex-Aid protested, but Nora didn't seem to even notice.

"He's so short and stubby and pink and those cartoonish eyes, Ahhh…!" Nora continued to gush as she kept shifting her grip on him, making it nearly impossible for him to break free of her embrace.

"Trust him he says, he's got this he says." Weiss lamented as she shook her head at the comical scene. However, the Bugster Union revving its engine regained everyone's attention as it drove forward at top speed towards them.

"Look out!" Pyrrha cried as the group backed away from its path, the creature clearly going for Ex-Aid.

"Nora!" Ren cried with concern, finally alerting the ginger haired girl and the strangled young man to the emanate danger they were in.

"Oh shoot!" Ex-Aid cursed before grabbing a hold of Nora and jumped out the way, easily leaping them high over the massive truck. However, the Bugster Union quickly skid into a donut, hoping to ram them on their decent, but Ex-Aid noticed this and suddenly a Chocolate Block appeared right at his feet, allowing him to make an additional leap to avoid the monster's attack.

"Whoa!" Ruby said in awe at Ex-Aid's jumping ability, she's never seen anything like it; accept maybe in a… video game.

"Weeeeee, that was fun!" Nora said as Jaune landed next to Ren and put her down.

"…Uh, guys, we've got company!" Yang announced as they were suddenly surrounded by various Creatures of Grimm.

"Figures all this commotion would attract the Grimm." Blake said as she reached for her Gambol Shroud.

"Damn it, we don't have time for this!" Ex-Aid cursed as he put his guard up. A nearby Beowolf eyed the super deformed warrior and pounced forward, Ex-Aid prepared to engage it only for the beast to be shot in mid air in the head, instantly killing it. "Huh?" Ex-Aid wondered as he turned to see Pyrrha with her Milo in its rifle mode, smoking from the bullet she just fired.

"Jaune, we'll handle the Grimm, you just focus on the… truck." She stated. Ex-Aid couldn't help but be surprised, looking passed Pyrrha to see that the rest of the students were also brandishing their weapons and had already begun engaging the Grimm, firing off dust rounds and slashing at them with inhuman speed and strength.

"…Got it, thanks!" Ex-Aid said appreciatively before he turned his attention back to the Bugster Union, summoning the Gashacon Breaker. "Alright big guy, where were we?" He taunted, which seemed to do the trick as the Bugster Union revved its engine and charged at Ex-Aid. He remained calm, a smug smirk hiding behind his helmet as he waited for the right moment and leaped up into the air right over the Bugster and hitting the A button on his weapon.

" _Ja-kin!_ " The Gashacon Breaker announced as its blade extended. Ex-Aid's descent was perfectly timed, landing right on top of the Bugster Union and planting the blade right into it. The monster "cried" in pain as it began skidding uncontrollably before it began doing donuts and bucking back and forth, trying anything to get Ex-Aid off. However, the Kamen Rider held on for dear life, his comrades keeping a secure perimeter around the plain, giving Ex-Aid plenty of room to work with.

Every time the blade jerked in the wound, the HIT graphic appeared, showing that he was indeed doing damage, though not nearly enough to slow it down any. Eventually, the Bugster dashed full throttle from one side of the plain to the other, hitting the breaks and stopping on a dime right at the edge, the momentum finally sending Ex-Aid flying forward with his sword in tow.

"Oh no you don't!" Ex-Aid declared as he regained his composure in the air. He summoned another Chocolate Block right in his path of trajectory, landing feet first on its side and pushing off of it, sending him rocketing back towards the Bugster Union. With a single swing of his sword, Ex-Aid slashed the right tires of the beast, causing them to turn limp and gooey as if they had been deflated. This severely hampered its movement, the Bugster crying in agony as it attempted to turn to face Ex-Aid, but as soon as it exposed its weak side to him, Ex-Aid leaped up and kicked it, knocking it over to its side, completely immobile. With a battle cry, Ex-Aid came down at the Bugster Union with a downward slash, cutting it straight in half, destroying it as it disappeared in a pixelated explosion, the victory jingle sounding in the background.

This grabbed everyone's attention, with the Grimm mostly defeated they turned to see Ex-Aid standing victoriously, Sal's body materializing behind him in a flash of pixels.

"Sal!" Yang called as she and the others began to rush over. "Sal, are you ok!?"

"Wait, hold on a sec!" Ex-Aid pleaded as he held the blond back.

"What are you doing!?" Yang snapped.

"The game's not over yet!" Ex-Aid explained, much to Yang's confusion. However, everyone soon understood as behind Sal's unconscious body the remains of the Bugster Union came together and formed its own separate body.

"Ahhh, that's better." The Bugster said with its back turned to them, cracking his neck and stretching out his arms. "It was starting to get a little cramped in there." It said as it turned around to face the group. This Bugster took the form of a slightly more humanoid looking Beowolf, mask and all, wearing its "hair" into a very obnoxious Mohawk and decked out in raggedy denim pants and vest with long shoulder spikes, over all he looked like an old fashioned biker gang member.

"Huh, so this time it's…" Ex-Aid began to identify the Bugster, but was cut off by Ruby yelping in realization.

"Ahh, it's Howling Bancho!" Ruby exclaimed as she pointed at the familiar looking creature.

"Howling what now?" Weiss said quizzically.

" _Bancho_ , you know, Howling Bancho, the final boss from Vale Beat Fighters!" Ruby explained.

"Vale…?" Blake began with a head tilt.

"…Beat Fighters?" Ren finished, scratching his head in confusion.

"Wait, you guys seriously don't know about Vale Beat Fighters, it's a Genm classic!" Ex-Aid exclaimed. "It's a beat-'em-up game where you play as a member of an up and coming street gang, fighting for territory on the streets of Vale!" Ex-Aid explained, nostalgia welling up inside of him as he talked about one of the first games he had ever played.

"Oh yeah, I remember that, our family used to play that all the time." Yang remembered.

"Well, that surely explains you and your sister's lack of tact on the battlefield if you grew up playing such a gaudy video game with a ridiculous character like that as the final challenge." Weiss said snootily, much to Ruby's chagrin. She wasn't the only one annoyed, the Bancho Bugster letting out a low growl before kicking down one of the pillars bordering the alter. It picked up a chunk that broke off and tossed it at the group of aspiring Huntsmen, the projectile apparently being thrown with such great force that it caught on fire.

"In coming!" Ex-Aid warned before the entire group scattered, avoiding the flaming projectile and the subsequent explosion it caused once it made contact with the ground.

"Don't take me lightly you little white brat!" The Bancho Bugster screamed angrily as it walked over to Sal, the boy lying unconscious and transparent on the ground. "You'd better not get on my bad side, 'cause by the looks of it I'll be running things around here by this time tomorrow!" It gloated as it stepped on Sal's chest and leaned on its knee.

"Sal!" Yang cried at the sight of her friend's treatment.

"Hmph, spoken like a true video game villain." Ex-Aid stated as he stood back up and stepped forward.

"What, you wanna rumble, Level 1 Pipsqueak?" Bancho Bugster scoffed.

"You bet I do!" Ex-Aid declared as he rolled his shoulders in preparation for battle. "Dai-Henshin!" He cried as he struck a pose and then pulled the lever on the Gamer Driver.

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty, Mighty Action X!"_ The Driver sang as Ex-Aid leaped into the air and broke out of his Level 1 form, coming back down and landing in his Level 2 form.

"Wow!" Ruby said in awe at Ex-Aid's evolution.

"Now _that's_ a little bit more like it." Yang added, impressed.

"…Eh, the first one was cuter." Nora stated with a disappointed expression.

"Alright, let's clear the second level!" Ex-Aid declared as he summoned the Gashacon Breaker once again.

"Hmph, fine, I'll take you on…" Bancho Bugster said as it picked up Sal by his collar. Then, to everyone's shock, it threw the boy into the air, where it was caught in the talons of the circling Nevermore.

"Sal!" Yang cried.

"But first, let's see if you're even worth the effort!" Bancho Bugster added as its body flashed a faint orange color, the Game Area glitching for a moment as a pulse of energy surged through the plain.

The remaining Grimm were paralyzed by this glitching energy before they burst into pixels and then reassembled all around the Game Area, now taking on the form of Bugster Soldiers all dressed like delinquent gang members, wielding simplistic weapons such as bats, chains, and even broken bottles and chairs. Additionally, faintly visible energy barriers were placed all around the area, trapping them in the plain.

"What the, he transformed the Grimm?" Blake said in shock.

"Somehow they don't look as menacing anymore." Pyrrha stated, but readied herself nonetheless.

"If you can beat my gang here, then I'll consider taking your challenge." Bancho Bugster said as it collected the relics from the alter.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing with those?!" Weiss snapped.

"Just a little insurance." Bancho Bugster replied before leaping into the air and landing on the back of the Nevermore, the beast flying them, along with Sal, away.

"Hey, get back here, you let my friend go _right now!_ " Yang roared in anger as she began frantically firing her Gauntlets at the Nevermore, missing every time.

"Yang, it's ok, this is just how beat-'em-up games work!" Ex-Aid insisted as he held her chambering arm back. "You fight through an army of small fry before facing off against the boss."

"Well, whatever the case, we can't just leave these things to do as they please." Pyrrha said, prompting everyone to brandish their weapons.

"Alright, let's clear this game without any continues!" Ex-Aid declared before he dashed forward, the rest following him into the army of Bugsters.

* * *

 **A/N: … Ok so THIS chapter may be a bad example of correcting my past mistake since, as you can see, it's pretty much an adaption of episodes 2-8 of RWBY, but I think I added in enough original content to possibly make up for that, and if not… well then I hope you're willing to look passed that and enjoy it for what it is. The OC Bugster that appeared in this chapter was thought up by my partner in crime brave kid, it's meant to be a homage to the side scrolling beat-em-up games of the 80s, I hope that came across well. Also, newsflash, this chapter was actually meant to include the fight with the Bugster and the aftermath, but it just got too long so I split it into two chapters, the next one should be up later today or tomorrow, so yeah, stay tuned. Well anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I REALLY hope you enjoy the next one, see you guys real soon and remember to R &R please. **


	3. Playing by the Rules!

**A/N: As promised, here's the next chapter, the second half of the Beacon Initiation battle. Not much to say about this one at the moment, so I guess I'll just see you at the end. Well, enjoy.**

 **I don't own RWBY or Kamen Rider Ex-Aid**

* * *

 **Playing by the Rules!**

Ex-Aid immediately began wiping the floor with the Bugster Soldiers, they were admittedly more adept fighters then the ones accompanying the Salty Bugster, but in true beat-em-up fashion they were dispatched with minimal effort. However, the rest of the Huntsmen in training didn't have it so easy.

Ruby activated her semblance and dashed through a large group of Bugsters, cleaving through every single one of them with Crescent Rose and skidding to a stop on the other side. However, when she looked back to admire her handy work, she was shocked to see that the Bugsters were completely untouched, making mocking gestures at her before advancing. Ruby switched her weapon to Sniper mode and fried at the approaching enemies, aiming for a clean headshot every time, but the moment the dust rounds made contact, a blue MISS graphic flashed, leaving the Bugster unharmed and not even acknowledging that it was hit, because apparently it wasn't. Once they had gotten close enough to attack, Ruby switched back to Scythe mode to defend herself, she blocked the creatures' attacks easily enough, but every time she tried to counter she "missed" and was thus left open for them to attack.

Her comrades weren't having anymore luck, no matter how hard Blake and Pyrrha slashed, Yang and Nora bashed, or Weiss and Ren jabbed, the Bugsters were simply immune to their attacks, of course the same couldn't be said for the Bugsters and their attacks, despite their crude fighting style they were beating the highly trained warriors to a pulp, slowly but surely depleting their protective Aura and stamina. Ruby blocked three baseball bats swung at her head only for another enemy to sneak behind and hit her with a folding chair, sending her to the ground. Ruby attempted to get back up, but one of the Bugsters stomped on the hand the held Crescent Rose, completely immobilizing her as the enemies all gathered around and prepared to just beat her into the ground.

"Ruby!' Ex-Aid cried once he noticed the pinch his friend was in. Ex-Aid hit the B button on the Gashacon Breaker three times, charging it with energy before smashing it into the ground, causing a shockwave that sent all three of the Bugsters surrounding Ruby into the air. Ex-Aid then leaped after them, defeating them in what Ruby could only describe as a midair combo, the Bugsters bursting into black polygons before he even landed. "You ok?" He asked as he helped her up.

"Yeah… just a little dizzy." Ruby assured as she shook her head to get rid of her dizziness.

"Just what is the meaning of this!?" Weiss demanded as she nearly backed into Ruby as she locked blades with a Bugster wielding a bokken. "Why can't we harm these things?" She inquired before attempting to thrust her weapon into the creature's chest, having no effect as if to emphasis her point.

"Wait, you can't hit them?" Ex-Aid said quizzically before bashing the Bugster Weiss was engaging in the head, instantly defeating it. "Huh, that's weird, I can beat them just fine." He admitted as he began fighting off some more Bugsters that were closing in. "Maybe only someone using the Gamer Driver can fight them?" He suggested.

"Well if that's the case, then what do we do?" Blake said as she passed by.

"I guess the only thing you can do is get back to Beacon Cliff and tell the Professors what's going on." Ex-Aid replied.

"I am _not_ running away, especially not from these ridiculous looking thugs!" Weiss protested as she desperately tried to fight off the Bugsters.

"Besides, we can't just leave you to fight by yourself!" Ruby added.

"Don't worry, I'll be just fine!" Ex-Aid insisted before breaking a nearby Chocolate Block and getting an Energy Item.

" _Speed Up!_ " The Gamer Driver announced as Ex-Aid glowed yellow.

"If it's a game then I definitely won't lose!" He assured as he switched his weapon into Blade mode and began dashing at high speeds around the area, clearing out the Bugsters only for a second wave to materialize.

"Game…?" Ruby mumbled to herself, come to think of it, Jaune had referred to this whole ordeal as a game a few times before. Sure their enemy was obviously the final boss of a classic video game, but this whole thing couldn't possibly be just a game… could it?

With this in mind, Ruby searched her memories of the hours she had poured into that game with her family for a possible solution. She observed as Ex-Aid effortlessly cleaved through the Bugster Soldiers, their forms disappearing in a burst of black polygons… however, the weapons that they wielded simply fell to the ground, free for the taking. That's when it hit her, a feature in Vale Beat Fighters that differentiated it from other similar games of its time, the ability to pick up and use your defeated enemies' weapons.

"That's it!" Ruby exclaimed in realization before she was forced to block an attack from a Bugster Soldier. "Jaune, pass me a dropped weapon!" She called to Ex-Aid.

"Huh?" The Rider breathed quizzically as he defeated another Bugster Soldier. He then looked down and picked up the weapon that it was wielding, a long pipe with a curious 90-degree bend at one end. It only took a moment for Ex-Aid to understand. "Oh, I see, alright, let's give it try!" Ex-Aid said before tossing the pipe over to Ruby.

The red-cloaked girl pushed the Bugster away and fired her weapon at the ground, propelling her into the air over her opponent and grabbing the crude weapon in midair. She landed right behind the Bugster Soldier, which turned around and went to strike at her again. Ruby reluctantly folded up her Crescent Rose and placed it on her back before brandishing the pipe and quickly swinging it around, nailing the Bugster on its side just before its weapon came down onto her. Despite her quick action, she felt as if things were going in slow motion as she awaited the graphic to confirm or deny her suspicions. Just as time seemed it have come to a complete halt, the HIT graphic appeared right where the Bugster had been hit, the creature grunting in pain before it burst into polygons.

" **Yeah**!" Ruby and Ex-Aid cried together with joy. As more Bugsters closed in on her, Ruby easily dispatched them, swinging the long metal rod around as if it were her precious Crescent Rose.

After slashing a Bugster dead, it dropped its weapon, a pair of brass knuckles, and Ex-Aid immediately picked them up.

"Yang, use these!" He called to his fellow blond as he threw the objects to her. Yang caught them with ease, looking a bit puzzled, but at this point she was willing to try anything and so retracted her Ember Celica and slipped on the brass knuckles, proceeding to Punch a Bugster square in the jaw, defeating it. The Bugsters paused for a moment, realization dawning on them as Yang cracked an evil looking smile and clashed her fists together, the impact causing the Game Area to glitch for a moment. The Bugsters swallowed the knots in their throats as they charged forward, Yang going ballistic on any that got within punching distance.

"Everyone, grab a weapon from the ground!" Ex-Aid instructed his companions.

Everyone took note of the advice and began searching; Blake looked around the warzone and saw a few weapons dropped by the Bugsters Yang mercilessly punched into submission. There were bats, knives, chairs, but the one that caught her attention the most was a chain; with her choice made she quickly rushed to grab it, using her semblance to leave copies of herself for Bugsters to attack. She picked up the length of chain and quickly assessed its length, looking to see if any Bugsters were in range before whipping the makeshift weapon at a Bugster's leg, pulling it around and slamming it into other Bugsters around it, defeating them.

Ren and Nora immediately obeyed the order, separating momentarily to acquire their desired weapons. Ren grabbed two BB-Guns off of the ground and began masterfully firing at the Bugsters, defeating numerous enemies on all different sides with a well placed shot to the head or a couple to the chest. Those that escaped Ren's barrage of metal pellets were instead faced with the wrath of Nora, who had picked up a baseball bat and began smashing the Bugsters all around the battle field, knocking them into trees and other Bugsters before they burst into polygons.

Meanwhile, Weiss was stubbornly trying to fight the Bugsters with her own weapon, however none of her expertly placed thrusts ever did any damage, and all of the effort it took to defend from any retaliation was taking a toll on her stamina. She was about to engage another Bugster, not noticing that another was about to come from the other side, but before they could do anything, Ruby quickly dispatched them, appearing next to Weiss in a burst of Rose petals.

"Weiss, use this!" Ruby said as she handed the pool cue that the Bugster dropped.

"You cannot honestly expect me to use such a crude weapon, do you!?" Weiss said indignantly. After saying this, Ruby defeated the Bugster Weiss was battling.

"So you'd rather just let these "cannon fodder" enemies push you around, I feel like that should wound your pride a little bit more!" Ruby stood her ground, much to Weiss' surprise. "Look, I know I haven't given you much reason to trust me, but you _have_ to, please, a life is on the line!" She pleaded, holding the pool cue out for the heiress to take. As much as Weiss hated to admit it, she was right, someone was in danger and she couldn't let her pride keep her from helping.

"…This better work." Weiss said as she took the wooden stick and held it as if it were her now sheathed Myrtenaster. With her typical grace, she advanced on the Bugsters and made quick work of them, if anything the long pool cue gave her more reach than her own weapon. Weiss was more then a little surprised that it actually worked. Ruby gave her a look that said "I told you so" before she and Weiss continued battling together.

Despite the ineffectiveness of her weapon, Pyrrha was doing a fantastic job of protecting herself, the moment she realized her weapon couldn't harm them she immediately switched to a completely defensive approach, it almost seemed as if the Bugsters were the ones unable to harm _her_. Once she heard the instruction, she made her way over to Ex-Aid and quickly picked up a bokken, replacing it with Milo in her sword hand and began to go back on the attack. Her form was perfect; she blocked all attacks while countering at precisely the right moment, decimating any Bugster that dared approach her. Ex-Aid was quite impressed, she wasn't on the front of a cereal box for nothing, the Rider smirked with amusement under his helmet, there's no way he was going to lose to anyone on his own turf. The two ended up back to back as Bugsters surrounded them; the two prodigies gave a subtle nod to each other before engaging their foes.

Defeating the rest of the Bugsters was practically child's play, and once the last Bugster fell, the Game Area flashed for a moment before the pathway opened back up.

"Looks like we cleared the area, next is the Stage Boss!" Ex-Aid declared. "Fair warning you guys, Howling Bancho isn't just any Stage Boss, he's the Final Boss of the whole game, so expect a tough fight." He warned, though his companions didn't seem to lose any resolve.

"We're right behind you Jaune!" Ruby replied.

"Yeah, let's whoop this wolf's butt!" Yang added with a crack of her knuckles.

"Alright, let's go!" Ex-Aid said as he led his companions to the final stage.

* * *

The group burst through the trees into the full ruins of the Emerald Forest. Old and weathered stone structures bordered the pathway to a cliff where a series of stone bridges connected to both a large stone tower and then to another, much higher cliff on the opposite side of the chasm. Perched on top of the tower was the giant Nevermore, and on a platform about halfway up the tower stood the Bancho Bugster, the creature leaning on a wall as it tossed one of the relics into the air and caught it repeatedly. Lying next to him unconscious was Sal, looking much more transparent then before.

"Howling Bancho!" Ex-Aid called to it, gaining its attention.

"Well, it's about time you punks got here!" Bancho Bugster said as he stood from the wall and faced them. "I'll admit I wasn't expecting you to clear my stage so quickly."

"Cut the chit-chat you fashion reject, just let Sal go, or else!" Yang threatened, though the Bugster only scoffed.

"Hmph, fine, take the bastard back!" It replied as it picked the boy up from his collar and just tossed him at them.

Everyone was shocked at this but Ex-Aid thought quickly and jumping into the air, propelling himself off of a Chocolate Block and then another that he generated himself in order to catch Sal in the air and land him safely onto the ground.

"Sal!" Yang cried as she and the group rushed over to them.

"Uhhh… Yang?" Sal said, his eyes peeling open at the familiar voice.

"I don't need him anyway!" The Bancho Bugster interrupted the reunion. "All I really need… are these babies right here!" It said as it showed off all of the stolen chess pieces.

"The Relics?" Blake said quizzically.

"Did you know, the latest that this little initiation crap will go to is sundown, after that, all prospective students that couldn't complete the objective… will be immediately expelled!" The Bancho Bugster explained, much to everyone's shock.

"E-Expelled…" Sal mumbled in horror. The green clad boy then began to cough violently, his body becoming just slightly more transparent.

"Sal!" Yang exclaimed as she tried to put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, only for it to pass right through him. "What the…?"

"That's right, just like that!" The Bancho Bugster said in a satisfied voice. "All I gotta do is keep these things till sunset and that guy will be expelled, then his stress will reach its max, that little turd will disappear, and I will become a complete being!" It gloated before letting out a cocky laugh.

"Disappear…?" Yang repeated as she glared up at the creature.

"Yeah, that's what Bugsters do, they infect people and completely take over their host's body so they can become complete." Ex-Aid explained as he guided Sal to the safety of the trees.

"Bugsters?" Pyrrha said quizzically at the unfamiliar term.

"Infect?" Ren added with intrigue.

"Sorry, I'll explain everything later," Ex-Aid promised as he carefully laid Sal next to a tree. "Right now, the only way to make Sal better is to defeat the Bancho Bugster." He continued as he stepped forward just before the bridge. "Now, Howling Bancho, I dealt with your grunts, now accept my challenge!" Ex-Aid demanded as he stood tall and pointed his sword at the amused looking Boss Character.

"Hmph, sure you beat the small-fry, but there's still one other guy in my gang you haven't dealt with yet!" As if replying, the Nevermore let out a loud screech as it spread its wings menacingly.

"Eh… EHHHH!" Ex-Aid exclaimed in shock, realizing what it was implying.

"Wait, he can't possibly mean…" Weiss began with hidden dread.

"Go Edgar, tear these bastards to shreds!" The Bancho Bugster ordered and the Nevermore obeyed, leaving its perch to fly over them and fired its plumage at the group of Huntsmen, forcing them to scatter into the series of pillars for cover. They could all hear the Bugster laughing at their retreat, even over the Nevermore's screeches.

"Well this is just great!" Yang complained as she peeked around the pillar to see the Nevermore circling around.

"What do we do now?" Blake inquired, seemingly directed at Ex-Aid, in fact, _everyone_ was looking to Ex-Aid for guidance, understandable, he seemed to be the only one who knew what was going on, and his advice has yet to steer them wrong.

"I… I don't know…." Ex-Aid admitted.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Weiss demanded angrily.

"It's just… in the game Edgar the Nevermore was just Howling Bancho's way of getting around, you never had to fight it!" Ex-Aid defended before peaking at the circling bird monster. "That thing could probably be considered a Boss in its own right, and with how much time we have left before sundown… we're just not equipped for a speed run, we can't defeat _two_ bosses in so little time!" He declared, despite his hopeless tone he was still wracking his brain for a way to defeat their powerful foes.

"Well then can't we just forget about the bird and focus on the mohawk guy!" Nora suggested.

"There's no way the Nevermore is going to let us get anywhere near its master without a fight." Ren replied.

"That's right, and trying to fight them at the same time would just be suicidal!" Pyrrha added.

"…Then how about we divide and conquer." Ruby suggests, gaining everyone's attention. "There's eight of us here, two teams of four, who says both teams have to fight one boss together?"

"…Well, that's true." Ex-Aid admitted. It wasn't a bad strategy by any means, but he had to admit he didn't really feel comfortable with the idea, after all he could only be on one team, and whether it was his pride as a Genius Gamer or concern for his gaming novice companions, leaving half their group to fight a boss on their own rubbed him the wrong way… but what other choice did they have.

"…Alright, divide and conquer it is." He concurred with a nod of confirmation. "You guys grab the Nevermore's attention, then we'll go after Howling Bancho." He instructed to the siblings and their partners.

"Oh, we'll do more then grab its attention." Ruby said with a spark in her eyes.

"Please don't tell me you have another insane idea." Weiss said cautiously.

"Trust me, just follow my lead." Ruby insisted as she looked to see how they were to approach their enemy. "Alright, team, let's go!" She ordered as she dashed through the pillars. With no time to waste the three other girls followed the red hooded huntress, the Nevermore completely unaware of their movements. That is, until they burst out into the open and onto the stone bridge of the ruins.

"Hey bird brain, over here!" Ruby taunted as the Nevermore circled around. It let out a screech as it dove down towards them, ramming into the bridge with little to no damage to itself. The stone structure blew apart, but fortunately the Huntresses managed leap forward just in time to avoid getting blown off with the debris. The rest of the ruins shifted slightly from the force of the impact, the Bancho Bugster noticing right away what was going on, especially once he caught the knowing smirk from the little red head. Despite Edgar's loyalty, it was still a mindless Creature of Grimm, if they fought it here in the ruins the Bancho Bugster would undoubtedly get caught in the crossfire. So it was either deal with that, or… flee to the cliff where Ex-Aid and the rest were waiting for him.

"…*Tch* You cheeky little red brat." It cursed under its breath. The Bancho Bugster brandished its claws before slicing down a pillar close to it, catching it before throwing it forward, he then took a step back before leaping off of the tower and using the pillar to launch himself the rest of the way to the cliff. It landed with a powerful thud, its knees bent in a dramatic "superhero" landing, the creature slowly rising to its feet as the dust cleared and it faced its opponents.

"Heh, well Ex-Aid, you wanted me, well here I am." The Bancho Bugster said confidently as it cracked its neck in preparation for battle.

"You won't be for long," Ex-Aid stated as he readied his Gashacon Breaker. "I'll change Sal's fate… with my own hands!" He declared.

The Bancho Bugster just scoffed and brandished its boney claws before dashing forward, Ex-Aid did the same, the blade of the Gashacon Breaker clashing with the Bugster's biological weapon. Bancho Bugster followed through with the attack, pushing the blade to the side and leaving its opponent wide open for a strike from its other claw, however Ex-Aid quickly stepped back to avoid the attack and immediately advanced when an overhead strike. The Bancho Bugster easily brought its claws up to block the attack, but the angle of the strike made the weapon slide off the boney knife like appendage as he stepped through, now having a clear shot at the creature's unprotected side. He landed a horizontal outward slash and a diagonal slash on the Bugster before reeling back and trusting the blade at its chest, but it quickly brought its claws up to block, the strike only sending it sliding back a few feet.

The Bancho Bugster took a moment to get its footing back but just as it was about reengage Ex-Aid, it noticed the shadow being cast on it and looked up to see Nora about to bring down her bat on its head. It brought up its hands and caught the bat in a cross block, it grunted under the force of the strike, but no damage was done besides the fracturing ground beneath its feet. Completely distracted by the orange haired girl, Ren circled around, firing at Bugster with his BB Guns, a good number of pellets hit their mark before the Bancho Bugster noticed and pushed Nora's bat away and back flipped out of range.

However, it landed right where Pyrrha was waiting for it, the girl quickly bringing down her bokken to the Bugster's face, dazing it and allowing Pyrrha to land a barrage well placed jabs and slashes that managed to keep it struggling to keep its balance. She then went for a kick to finally knock it down, immediately cursing herself for the instinctual strike as the blue MISS graphic appeared where her boot met its chest, not even so much as making it flinch. The Bugster grinned evilly at the champion's mistake and regained its footing enough to throw a roundhouse kick to her midsection, she easily blocked the attack with her shield, only for the Bugster to pull back its leg and land a kick to her head at inhuman speeds, knocking her to the side where she just barely managed to roll to avoid injury.

Ex-Aid then charged forward, coming at the Bancho Bugster with an upward diagonal slash, the creature nearly avoiding it before it began clashing its claws with Ex-Aid's sword. The rest of his makeshift team joined in, surrounding the Bugster in hopes of overwhelming it with their shear numbers.

* * *

Once the Bancho Bugster engaged Ex-Aid's team, the girls all took its place on the tower, watching as the Nevermore circled around as if looking for them.

"Here it comes!" Ruby warned as she prepared for battle.

"Alright ladies, shall we?" Yang said playfully as she redeployed Ember Celica, letting her knuckle-dusters fall to the floor. Blake and Weiss did the same, while Ruby looked at them in confusion.

"Wait, what are you guys…" Ruby began, but was cut off once her comrades open fired on the approaching Grimm. Ruby looked on in a combination of concern and hope, which was shattered once the dreaded MISS graphics flashed wherever it was hit.

"Oh you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Yang fumed before the Nevermore crashed into the pillars that supported the tower. As it collapsed, the girls all frantically tried to return to solid ground, hopping and shooting themselves off of the stone debris that fell around them. However, Ruby went the extra mile and made sure to retrieve the weapons that they had all discarded before joining them back on the platform that once held the tower.

"Seriously, that thing is immune to our weapons to?" Blake said exasperatedly.

"Great, now what do we do?!" Weiss added indignantly.

"We do what we've been doing, we play by the rules!" Ruby replied as she tossed them back their weapons.

"Ok, now I _know_ you're kidding me." Yang said.

"Are you insane, these may have worked against foot soldiers, but this a Giant Nevermore we're talking about!" Weiss added indignantly, and as if on cue the Nevermore dived down towards them, just missing as they ducked out of the way.

"Well, we can't just do nothing, Jaune and Sal are counting on us!" Ruby pleaded.

"Ruby face it, we've taken this "game" as far as it can go; we _can't_ win with these things!" Weiss insisted with frustration.

Ruby couldn't help but wonder if Weiss was right, killing this Nevermore would've been difficult even with their dust infused gun blades, could they really bring it down with some laminated wood and rusted metal. Her face fell for a moment before she snuck a peek at Ex-Aid and his battle, the Genius Gamer being tirelessly supported by his comrades, all doing what they can even with their impromptu weapons. With her resolve reignited, she desperately searched her mind for a solution, if this was truly a game, then there had to be something that could give them an edge against this neigh impossible adversary. Then she saw it, Ex-Aid leaping off a Chocolate Block to come at the Bancho Bugster from a different angle, however her attention was on the block itself. She looked around and spotted another Chocolate Block floating just within reach, remembering the other way Ex-Aid used them to aid him in combat. With that in mind, Ruby smirked confidently before taking and shifting her Crescent Rose into its Sniper Mode.

"They wouldn't have put them in if you couldn't win with them." She said simply before she propelled herself into the air with a shot from Crescent Rose. She spun in the air with her pipe held out and she struck the block, bursting it open to reveal a blue medal that depicted a jumping rider.

" _Jump Up!_ " The Game Area announced before Ruby absorbed the Energy Item, gaining a blue glow. She landed on one of the bridges and eyed the Nevermore at it circled around. Before the Nevermore even got close, Ruby took a few steps and jumped, propelling herself all the way over to the unsuspecting Nevermore and bashed it in the face with the pipe, damaging it enough to make it struggle to stay in the air. As soon as Ruby landed, she propelled herself to the defenseless Grimm again, hitting its torso three times before leaping off of it and landing on the tallest pillar left standing, her blue glow fading away. The girls were silent for a moment as they processed what had just happened, especially taking in the damaged Nevermore.

"…Whoa, way-to-go Ruby!" Yang cheered for her little sister. Suddenly, the Nevermore let out a powerful shriek, as if to remind the Huntresses that it was far from defeated. With that in mind, the three older girls all shared a knowing glance with each other before they all turned their attention to three separate Chocolate Blocks. The Nevermore dove to where it sensed the highest level of human activity in the immediate area, only for the girls to rush off in opposite directions, avoiding the attack. Yang reached her block first, slipping on her knuckle-dusters and punching it open, revealing a pale red medal depicting a rider with an incredibly long arm.

" _Stretch!_ " The Game Area announced as she absorbed the item and gained a red glow. Suddenly, her legs felt weak, looking down she saw that they were somehow bending and twisting unnaturally, as if they were made of rubber.

"Whoa~, whoa, whoa, easy now." She said as she attempted to straighten herself out. She concentrated and her legs went back to normal, her arms now being the ones acting like rubber. She giggled amusingly as she did the wave with her stretchy arms before bringing her attention back to the Nevermore. Yang stretched her arm out and pulled herself up onto one of the tall pillars as the giant Nevermore came looking for her.

"Looking for _me_?" She taunted as she threw a punch at it, her arm stretching far enough for her fist to slam into the creature's face. The Nevermore turned its attention to her only to get socked in the face again and then get uppercut into the gut as her arms kept extending and retracting, keeping the creature at bay while also causing great amounts of damage.

Meanwhile, Weiss and Blake both broke open their own respective Chocolate Blocks, only to find nothing inside.

"What?" Blake said quizzically.

"Yeah, not all of them will have an item inside," Ruby lamented as she opened another dud herself. "We'll just have to keep looking."

"Ugh, honestly, this is all just starting to become a real pain!" Weiss grumbled in frustration as she looked around for another block.

Eventually, the Nevermore broke through Yang's defense, taking the opportunity of both arms being retracted to fly head first toward her, only for the blond brawler to let out a cheeky smirk. She leaped up out of the way and wrapped her arm all the way around the creature's neck in a headlock, choking it as she punched at its eye.

"How. Do. You. Like. this!" She taunted with each hit, the Nevermore's flight pattern clearly disrupted and just narrowly avoiding crashing into the ruins. Suddenly, however, the red glow from the Energy Item faded away and Yang's arm retracted back to its normal shape. "Uh, oh." She said as she was left barely able to hang on as the Nevermore recovered and began to thrash about to rid itself of her.

"Yang, hold on!" Blake urged.

"Easier said than done!" Yang responded as she clasped a few of its feathers in her fists. Blake acted quickly and broke open the closest block she could find, finally finding an Item, this one magenta colored with the image of two faded copies coming out of the main Rider.

" _Clone!_ " She heard as she glowed and three new copies of herself appeared next to her.

"Clones, I already do clones!" Blake lamented the seemingly unnecessary power up. However, at that moment Yang's grip failed her and she was flung off of the Nevermore's neck. "Yang!" Blake exclaimed as she saw her partner in free fall.

Almost instinctively she and one of her copies kneeled down with their hand out together, a second copy getting into position and was flung across the large chasm, grabbing Yang in midair and landing safely on a nearby block.

"Whoa, they can… do stuff." Blake said in awe, the clones created by her own semblance could only interact with herself, and to a limited degree. The girl and her copies exchanged glances, the copies glitching slightly as if to prove that they were in fact digital recreations, before the Nevermore regained its composure and turned its attention to the three identical Huntresses on the bridge.

They all prepared to engage the enemy as Weiss leaped up off of the power she stood on and used one of her glyphs to reach a Chocolate Block suspended in the air. She jabbed it with her cue and it burst open, revealing an orange medal that had a smug looking Rider seemingly egging someone on.

"Finally!" Weiss said as absorbed the item.

" _Instigate!_ " She heard before landing on the other side of the tower. Suddenly, the Nevermore's attention was completely directed to the heiress, despite just being the middle of attacking another, it let out a loud shriek before flying up high and diving straight down at her. Weiss, while a little distressed, stood her ground, concentrating for a moment before she thrusted her weapon above her, a large sky blue colored glyph appearing just in time to intercept the fast approaching Grimm, the creature slamming into the barrier as if it were an immovable wall. However, the hindrance did little to dissuade the Nevermore from attacking the Heiress, the creature having lost all interest in the others as it furiously pecked and scratched at the protective glyph.

"Quick, while it's distracted!" Weiss cried to the others, noticeably struggling to keep her assailant at bay.

The girls all complied and went on the attack; Blake and her clones leapt onto the Nevermore's back, whipping at it with their chains while Yang stood on the glyph directly under the rampaging Nevermore, the effects of the Energy Item preventing it from noticing anything besides the white haired Huntress. Yang then began going to town on the Creature of Grimm, pummeling it with powerful punches every time it bobbed its head to peck at the barrier, causing major damage and yet the Nevermore still showed no concern.

Soon enough however, Weiss' glow faded away, as did Blake's, freeing the Nevermore from its trance and leaving it with three Huntresses crowded around it like sitting ducks. But before it got the chance to do anything, Ruby came rushing in, propelling herself high up into the air with a shot from Crescent Rose and broke open one last Chocolate Block, absorbing a red medal that portrayed a Rider flexing its arm muscles.

" _Muscle Up!_ " The Game Area announced. Ruby could feel the power in her arms as her muscles momentarily flexed themselves.

"Heads up!" Ruby warned as she fell down towards them, her teammates heeding her warning and dispersed, the Nevermore sensing the danger and craning its head to look at the falling Huntress. With a grunt, Ruby slammed her pipe against the side of the Nevermore's head, her body flashing red as the strength of her attack was greatly increased, sending the creature flying straight into the edge of the mountain, the whole earth seemingly shaking as a result.

The Nevermore was certainly getting weak, taking a moment to regain its composure, Ruby had a feeling that one last good hit would do the trick, but even then she could feel her power up beginning to fade, she needed to act fast. Just then, the Nevermore let out a desperate shriek before it flew up into the air preparing for a dive bomb, in its last attempt to rid itself of its pesky prey.

"Guys, think you can give me a boost?" Ruby said. The girls all exchanged wondering glances, but it was Blake that was the first to move, taking her Gambol Shroud and tossing it over to Yang, keeping one end of the ribbon for herself, creating a makeshift slingshot with the two bridges. Ruby wasted no time in leaping onto the ribbon, her weight stretching it back and Weiss contributing a special black glyph to the effort, keeping the tension up for just the right moment.

Ruby knew her timing had to be just right, swing to early or to late and she was gonna get skewered. Finally, the Nevermore began its descent, falling beak first toward the girls prompting Weiss to release the glyph, propelling Ruby into the air towards the Grimm. The young Huntress focused what was left of her power up into her arms and then into her pipe, and with a fierce battle cry she met the Nevermore in the air, swinging the pipe they passed by each other, time seemed to freeze as they waited to see which hit landed first.

A PERFECT graphic flashed on the Nevermore's body as it glitched violently before exploding into pixels, Ruby landing gracefully on the top of the cliff as the victory jingle played in the background.

* * *

Ex-Aid and his team were doing their very best against the Bancho Bugsters, but somehow, despite outnumbering it, they never seemed to make any real progress. The four fighters all ganged up on the Bancho Bugster, slashing, bashing, and firing all at once, and yet the Bugster managed to defend itself with ease. In fact if anything ganging up on it was putting them at a disadvantage, they had to be fully aware of their comrades at all times so as to not let them get caught in the crossfire, which made landing significant hits difficult, not to mention the Bugster's aggressive attack pattern had them on the defensive a lot of the time.

However, they eventually got into a proper rhythm with each other and finally seemed to have the Bugster on the ropes, but just as soon as they gained the upper hand, the Bancho Bugster leaped out of the circle and landed on a pillar a good distance away from them.

"Huh?" Ex-Aid said at the sudden retreat, realization suddenly hitting him as he saw the Bancho Bugster slice a few disks from the pillar it was resting on. "In coming!" He warned as the Bugster tossed one of the disks at them, the stone projectile catching fire as it soared towards them. The group dispersed, Ex-aid and Pyrrha to one side, Ren and Nora to the other, however this worked in the Bugster's favor as it tossed the remaining two stones at each duo, neither having time to evade the large as the stone disks exploded on impact to the ground, catching all four in the respective blasts.

With a smug chortle, the Bancho Bugster leapt off of the pillar over to Ren and Nora, the two still recovering from the force of the blast. Ren took aim with his pistols, but the Bugster swiftly kicked them out of his hands and landing a sidekick to the face, sending the boy tumbling back to the ground. Without even sparing a glance, the Bancho Bugster blocked an overhead swing from Nora, grabbing the bat before slashing at her twice then kicking her off to the side.

The Bancho Bugster was about to follow up when he was forced to duck under a slash from Ex-Aid, and then block another that came from Pyrrha. It slashed at the red headed champion but she blocked every single strike and locked weapons with it, allowing Ex-Aid an opening to tap the B button on his weapon and land two "B Slashes" at the Bugster sending it stumbling back.

As Ex-Aid and Pyrrha engaged the Bugster, Ren and Nora began to get back on their feet, the duo quickly searching for their weapons to get back into the fight. The Bugster desperately tried to fight off Ex-Aid and Pyrrha, but the two wouldn't let up on the pressure, Ex-Aid landing a few more good slashes before he stood aside to let Pyrrha have a go. The Bancho Bugster managed to duck under her initial swing, but Pyrrha used the momentum swing her legs around in a trip; however, just as before, her deeply ingrained battle instincts backfired as the Bugster didn't so much as stumble, giving it the chance to regain some ground by kicking the champion in the face, creating some distance between them.

"Pyrrha!" Ex-Aid cried in concern before leaping up and off of a Chocolate Block and come down on the Bugster with a downward slash, unfortunately the Bugster managed to roll out of the way just in time.

Just as the Bancho Bugster was going to reengage Ex-Aid, Nora came rushing in, swinging her bat wildly and prompting the Bugster to evade her frantically. Ex-Aid soon joined the assault as well, and in the background Ren was on his knee carefully aiming his pistols at the Bugster in search for any openings. Not appreciating being crowded once again, the Bancho Bugster leaped away from them again, perching himself on a different pillar but still preparing a few projectiles.

"Oh not this again!" Nora complained, but rather then preparing to evade, she held her bat in preparation for a swing.

"Wait Nora, don't!" Ex-Aid warned before being forced to leap out of the way as the Bugster threw one of the stone slabs right at her. Nora swung her bat the flaming object in hopes of knocking it "out of the park", but as soon as it made contact with the Bat, it exploded, sending Nora flying back as her body flashed pink momentarily; her aura was completely depleted.

"Nora!" Ren exclaimed as he began to rush over to her, only to get caught in the blast of a second stone disk, depleting his own aura as well.

"Ren, Nora!" Ex-Aid shouted at the sight of his downed comrades. Just then, realized that there was one more bomb left, and looked over to see it hurling towards a dazed Pyrrha. "Pyrrha!" He called as he dashed towards her, ready to take the hit himself if need be. But just as it seemed that he wouldn't make it, a red blur flashed around them and suddenly he and Pyrrha were just out of the blast zone.

"Huh, Ruby?" Ex-Aid said as she saw the red hooded girl kneeled before them.

"You guys ok?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think so, but what about Edgar?" Ex-Aid inquired, receiving a proud smile from Ruby.

"Taken care of." She assured.

"What, you defeated Edgar!?" The Bancho Bugster cried in disbelief.

"That's right, and you're next!" Blake said a she leaped up to attack the Bugster. However, it was quick to evade, attempting to land a kick to the Huntress as it back flipped off the pillar, only to kick away a shadow clone left behind before Blake took her chain and wrapped it around the Bancho Bugster's exposed foot and pulled him up higher into the air, where it was met with a punch square in the jaw by Yang. The Bugster was sent crashing to the ground where it lay for a moment before returning to its feet, it was then that it saw Weiss gliding across the ground with her glyphs, pool cue in her chambered arm preparing to strike. The Bugster growled in annoyance at their persistence and brandished its claws before dragging them across the ground as it dashed forward, the two meeting halfway as the Bugster brought its claws up to meet her strike, the sparks igniting into a sort of energy slash that forced Weiss back to avoid any significant damage. Weiss, Yang, and Blake then began fully engaging the Bugster as Ruby, Pyrrha, and Ex-Aid went to go help Ren and Nora.

"Are you both ok?" Pyrrha inquired as she helped the ginger haired girl to her feet, while Ex-Aid aided her oriental companion.

"…Ugh, well, we're alive if that's what you mean." Nora replied as she rubbed her head.

"But our Aura is completely gone, I doubt we can survive another hit." Ren lamented.

"Guess that puts you guys out of the game huh?" Ex-Aid said as he led them over to the trees, where they put the duo down for some well-deserved rest.

"I'm afraid so." Ren admitted, Nora just resting her head back against the trunk of the tree.

"Well, don't worry you guys, we've got it from here." Ruby stated.

"You both just rest." Pyrrha added as the two red heads prepared their weapons and went to reenter the battle.

"Hang on you guys." Ex-Aid called, putting a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder to stop her, which in turn gained Ruby's attention. "I don't think ganging up on the Bugster like we've been doing is going to work." He stated.

"What do you mean?" Ruby said quizzically.

"I mean, look at _them_ ," Ex-Aid urged, turning the girls' attention to their three remaining comrades. "They can barely manage to keep up the pressure. In fact, we had one extra person and we didn't fair any better then they are." He explained. They had to admit, from where they stood it did seem like the Bugster had the advantage in th battle.

"Then what should we do?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, I've been thinking, Vale Beat Fighters was a two player co-op game, mostly due to software limitations at the time, but that just meant they had more freedom with how the boss could fight." Ex-Aid began. "Because there were only two players occupying such a large area, Howling Bancho's "area of effect" attacks didn't seem unfair since they could easily be avoided with the right timing. But with three or more players on screen, there's less room to work with and the boss was almost guaranteed a hit on someone. Plus, they were designed to be taken down with strategies that are hard to coordinate with more then two players."

"So you're saying we should fight the enemy with… less people?" Pyrrha wondered.

"Exactly, if we're going to clear this game, it has to be with two player co-op." Ex-Aid confirmed. He then walked passed his eager looking partner and began addressing Ruby. "Alright Ruby, you up for it?"

"Huh, me?" Ruby questioned apprehensively.

"Yeah, you're the only one here who knows this game as well as I do, it's gotta be you and me." Ex-Aid insisted, placing a confident hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "So, what do you say?"

"…Alright, let's do it." Ruby said with a determined nod, which Ex-Aid returned.

"Pyrrha, take care of Ren and Nora." Ex-Aid said in a rather commanding tone.

"Understood." Pyrrha replied before the two gamers left to rejoin the fight.

The three Huntresses were flung back off of the their feet by a powerful spinning slash attack from the Bancho Bugster, though it did little to deter them as they got back on their feet and were ready to continue. However, they were stopped by Ruby and Ex-Aid stepping passed them.

"Yang, tag out, Jaune and I will take it from here." Ruby informed.

"What, just you two?" Yang wondered out loud.

"Just trust us, we've got this." Ex-Aid insisted as he and Ruby brandished their weapons. While that was hardly an explanation, the three Huntresses had little reason to question the two gamers at this point, just did as they said and retreated to a safe distance, leaving Ruby and Ex-Aid to square off against the Bancho Bugster.

"Hmph, so you two are the only ones left with the balls to take me on huh?" It taunted them, but his opponents didn't seem to react. "Fine, let's finish this crap already." It said as fell into a stance ready to fight.

"You familiar with the "Fight or Flight" strategy." Ex-Aid asked his comrade.

"Heh, that's what me and my dad always did." Ruby said with no small degree of confidence.

"Then that's what we'll go with, I'll take point, let's do this." Ex-Aid instructed before he engaged the boss, the two meeting in the middle as they clashed sword to claw.

The Bancho Bugster aggressively clawed at the Rider, forcing Ex-Aid to go on the defensive, eventually breaking said defense and landing two claw strikes before kicking him away. Ex-Aid stumbled, nearly tripping over a Chocolate Block, and with his opponent seemingly dazed the Bancho Bugster leaped into the air and came down on him with an axe kick. Ex-Aid however just smirked under his helmet as he switched the Gashacon Breaker into hammer mode and broke open the block, revealing a grey medal that depicts a Rider with a sword breaking on contact with him.

" _Iron Up!_ " The Game Area announced as Ex-Aid absorbed the item, turning his body into metal. The Bugster's kick landed right on Ex-Aid's shoulder, the force cracking the ground beneath him but leaving the Rider unharmed.

"Is that the best you've got!?" Ex-Aid taunted as he shrugged off the foot and punched the Bugster with his solid steel fist, sending it stumbling back. Just as the Bugster regained its footing Ruby rushed in and nailed the boss in the head with her pipe, following up with a jab to the gut with the end of it and then knocking it off its feet with a low sweep.

"Forgot about me did you?" Ruby said before she attempted to bash the Bugster with her weapon while it was down, only for it to roll out of the way at the last moment and nimbly return to its feet.

"You annoying little brat, stay out of this!" The Bugster demanded as it attacked Ruby with a flurry of claws and kicks, driving her back while she blocked and evaded every strike.

The Bugster eventually saw an opening and scrapped his claw across the ground for a "spark claw" attack, however at the very last second Ruby disappeared in a cloud of rose petals, the Bancho Bugster's claw scraping across Ex-Aid's metal chest instead, chipping a piece of the claw off. The Bugster cried in pain at the loss of its cuticle, only for Ex-Aid to punch it twice in the jaw and then land a powerful uppercut. The creature fell and rolled on the ground from the force of the strike, but the moment it stood back up it was hit in the back by Ruby again, followed by a strike to the face that threatened to daze it again.

However, it endured and managed to block another strike to its face and get inside Ruby's guard, managing to claw her twice before she evaded a kick and retreated. The Bancho Bugster was about to pursue her when it was clotheslined by Ex-Aid's metallic arm, making it stumble back and return its attention to the Rider. It was then that Ex-Aid's power up wore off, leaving him vulnerable; the Bugster saw this as his chance and pounced at Ex-Aid, but the Rider was ready, tapping the B button twice and swinging it into the Bugster's jaw, sending it spiraling into the air where Ruby jumped to meet it and slam it back to the ground. This was the "fight or flight" strategy, a sturdy character engages the boss to absorb damage while an agile character deals out the punishments when the boss gets stunned, the standard strategy most players used when they wanted a quick win against Howling Bancho.

"Grrrrr, YOU LITTLE PIECES OF CRAP!" The Bancho Bugster roared in fury, unleashing its desperation attack. It stomped on the ground, the shockwave somehow slicing the two pillars next to it into a multitude of projectiles, the Bugster letting out a cry of anger as it shot them at its opponents as they fell around it.

However, Ex-Aid and Ruby were ready for this, right when the Bugster did its outburst, Ex-Aid jumped up and hit open a block floating above him, revealing and absorbing the Speed Up Item. The two players then zipped across the field, evading the projectiles in streaks of red and yellow, the enraged look in the Bugster's eyes only growing with each miss. Eventually, there were no more disks to throw and now was their chance to finish things. Ruby dashed in and hit the Bugster in the gut before zooming away, allowing Ex-Aid to come in and slash it across the back before retreating as well, and without giving it a chance to recover, both players struck at the same time, Ex-Aid with a high slash and Ruby with a low sweep. The Bugster fell to the ground, struggling to get up, very little energy left for him to fight.

"Alright, I think it's about time to end this." Ex-Aid declared as he removed the Rider Gashat from the Gamer Driver. With a quick blow, he placed it into a slot on the Gashacon Breaker.

" _Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " The weapon announced as pink graphic energy began to collect in the blade, Ruby stepping back in awe as it got brighter and brighter.

"…Damn you bastards…!" The Bancho Bugster cursed as it struggled to its feet. Once the blade was all charged up, Ex-Aid pulled the trigger on the handle.

" _Mighty Critical Finish!_ " It announced and with that Ex-Aid leaped high into the air and came down in a vertical spinning slash, the Bugster crying in agony as the blade continuously cleaved into him before he exploded, Ex-Aid landing safely behind where it once stood.

Luckily, the relics that the Bugster had snatched survived the blast, falling to the ground around the Rider like a big item from a real boss fight. Ex-Aid picked up a white rook piece, Ruby walking over as well and taking a white knight piece for herself.

"… **ALRIGHT!** " The two exclaimed joyously, holding their weapons up together in a victory pose.

" _Game Clear!_ " Everyone heard as the ring of titles circled around them, an eleventh one appearing featuring the cover for Vale Beat Fighters and slapping a GAME CLEAR graphic on it.

Everyone was stunned by the duo's astounding victory, but before they could celebrate and give congrats, all of their improvised weapons vanished into pixels and more importantly, they could hear Sal moaning as he struggled to get to his feet, his body no longer transparent.

"Sal!" Yang called to her friend as she and the rest of the students all went to check on him. "Are you ok?" She asked as she grabbed the boy by the shoulders.

"Ugh, yeah, I'm fine." Sal insisted as he did his best to stand on his own.

"… _.yeah, I'm fine._ " Sal's voice came from the scroll Professor Ozpin held in his hands. As stated before initiation, he and other moderators were observing the students, some more then others, and he just so happened to catch Ex-Aid's second victory against the Bugster menace, and he wasn't the only one.

"Well, Mr. Arc's fighting style is certainly as… unorthodox as you said it to be." Glynda Goodwitch spoke up, going over the footage of the battle on her own scroll. "And to be perfectly honest, I don't think I approve of the unneeded eccentricities." She voiced her opinion.

"I'm sure the General is thrilled that you agree with him, Ms. Goodwitch." Daniel Negro said coyly as he and said official appeared on the screen.

"Regardless, it is not his decision to make, nor is it mine." Goodwitch replied, calmly readjusting her glasses.

"Ozpin, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Ironwood inquired to the Headmaster.

"Hmm… it is rather odd and flashy," Ozpin admitted. "But effective nonetheless, and that is all we could ask for."

"I assume that means we have your approval." Negro said hopefully.

"Indeed, Mr. Negro." Ozpin replied simply.

"…Well, if Ozpin approves, then I suppose I do as well." Ironwood reluctantly conceded. "You will have your funding Mr. Negro, use it wisely, and remember time is of the essence."

"Understood, I assure you we will have another Henshin System prepared within the week." Negro promised.

"Excellent, we thank you for your cooperation." Goodwitch said politely.

"And I thank you for yours." Negro replied before he and Ironwood hung up.

"Now then, what are we to do about this?" Goodwitch said as she returned her attention to the surveillance footage. "In one fell swoop eight students have been made aware of the Bugster Virus, this doesn't bode well for keeping everything under wraps."

"…What's done is done, for now let's have them complete the initiation, _then_ we can discuss things with them." Ozpin replied his eyes firmly fixed on the screen of the scroll.

* * *

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark…" Ozpin announced the names of the young Huntsmen that stood before him on the stage. With initiation drawing to a close, all passing students returned to the auditorium to be assigned their teams. Jaune waited in the crowd with his comrades as Ozpin dubbed the quartet Team CRDL, the whole auditorium giving them an obligatory applause. After the battle, Sal had decided to forego completing initiation in favor of informing the Professor Ozpin of his condition, everyone agreed that it was the responsible thing to do and Ozpin seemed willing to negotiate an alternative initiation for him, much to his relief and undying gratitude.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie." Ozpin called, the four named students practically marching up onto the stage and standing respectably before the Headmaster. "The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work as… Team JNPR." He stated, pictures of the four teens with their new team name under them appearing on the screen.

Nora happily wrapped her arms around Ren's neck, practically hanging from there, but even so Jaune was certainly filled with much more joy and pride at that moment. It all finally felt real, being a student at Beacon Academy, on his way to achieving his life long dream of being a Huntsman, and even getting to work under a world-renowned fighter like Pyrrha Ni…

"Led by… Jaune Arc." Ozpin revealed, bring Jaune back from his almost euphoric joy.

"Huh?" He breathed in confusion. "Led by…?" He said nervously, the weight of that tremendous responsibility bringing him straight back to earth from cloud nine.

"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin simply said in response. Jaune was stunned, this certainly had to be another privilege due to his status as Ex-Aid right, there's no way _he_ could be a leader, right? He turned to see the reaction of his teammates and saw nothing but supportive smiles, much to his own relief and appreciation. With their turn over and done with, Team JNPR took their leave back into the audience.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long." The four girls took JNPR's place on the stage. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as… Team RWBY." Ozpin christened them, and Jaune having caught on to the naming scheme knew exactly who would be leader. "Led by… Ruby Rose." Ozpin announced. The girl in question seemed just as surprised as Jaune was at receiving the title, though, but that didn't stop her sister from engulfing her in a big, proud, sisterly hug. Weiss seemed to be the most shocked of them all, while Blake remained neutral, accepting the decision for what it was.

With the last team formed, Ozpin gave a few more words of encouragement to the students before officially welcoming them to his school, ending the initiation and dismissing the teams to receive their room assignments.

"Right across from each other." Blake observed once RWBY and JNPR were told their room numbers.

"Wow, how about that." Yang said with an amused smile.

"Can you say SLUMBER PARTY EVERY NIGHT!?" Nora exclaimed excitedly.

"No, and neither should you Nora." Ren said, putting a calming shoulder and his hyperactive companion.

"Honestly, I don't understand how any of you can be so calm after everything that's happened today." Weiss voiced her irritation.

"Aww come on Weiss, lighten up a little, everything worked out in the end didn't it?" Ruby insisted.

"Maybe, but I'd still like a proper explanation, like we were promised." Weiss aimed this last remark at Jaune, eyeing him accusingly while her hands rested at her hips.

"Uh, w-well, about that…" Jaune muttered nervously, how exactly could he tell them that he wasn't the most informed person on the matter either.

"Team RWBY, Team JNPR." The two teams heard, turning their attention to Professor Glynda Goodwitch, calling them from the hallway. "May I have a moment of your time?" She requested calmly. The eight students exchanged a puzzled look, differing to their leaders to answer on their behalf.

"Uh, of course Professor." Ruby answered sheepishly.

"Excellent, please follow me." Goodwitch instructed before immediately walking down the hallway. The teams exchanged one last look before following after her. "So… what's this about Ms…?"

"Please hold your questions until after we arrive." Goodwitch interrupted without even sparing the girl a glance.

"Arrive, where are we going?" Blake asked her partner, Yang just offering a shrug.

The students remained silent as they were led to the elevators, Goodwitch calling it and the mobile room appearing moments later. She walked inside and waited, prompting the rest to follow suit, luckily the elevator was big enough to accommodate them all. Once the doors were shut Ms. Goodwitch hit the elevator buttons in a quick sequence before it began descending, the screen above the buttons that showed their current floor rapidly falling, bellow even what was supposed to be the lowest floor. After a few moments the letters CR appeared on the screen, prompting the door to open and reveal a brightly lit, white hallway.

"Right this way." Goodwitch instructed, guiding them down the corridor to one final door, hitting a code on the keypad off to the side in order to unlock it.

Once the automatic door slid open, the lights in the room automatically came to life, giving the students a good look at what was inside. They seemed to have been brought to an room that would've put any school nurse's office, or even the average hospital treatment rooms to shame, there was medical instruments on tables that lined the walls, a multitude of computers that displayed various data on the human anatomy and structures of bacteria and viruses. They were all so engrossed in the seemingly out of place room that they almost didn't notice Professor Ozpin standing at the far end of the room, turned away from them as he looked down into another room from a window.

"Um… what is this place?" Ruby was the first ask.

"This students, is Beacon Academy's Cyber Rescue Center, abbreviated CR if you wish." Ms. Goodwitch replied, Ozpin finally turning his attention to them.

"Cyber… _Rescue_ Center?" Pyrrha wondered out loud as she further examined the room.

"Yes, but as of this moment, you may refer to it as your base of operations." Ozpin added, punctuating his statement with a casual sip from his mug of coffee.

"… **Huh?** " The teams collectively breathed in confusion.

* * *

 **A/N: Aaaaaaannnnnnd, bullshit cliffhanger ending… Yeah, to be honest I didn't really know how to end this chapter, so I just sort of… ended it. That being said, the next chapter will probably pick up right where this one left off, with everyone getting a proper explanation of what's going on, including this world's origin of the Bugster Virus, so look forward to that. Now about the fight, the whole weapon drop thing was once again brave kid's idea and I think it was a good call, I wanted to have the RWBY cast really involved in the fight, and it helped introduce the fact that Bugsters are in fact invulnerable to typical dust based weaponry, which is part of what makes them such a threat to the Huntsmen and humanity at large. Also, OC Bugsters are pretty much going to a staple of this story, so I hope you enjoyed seeing the Bancho Bugster in action, since you can expect a lot more where that came from. Finally, I adapted the Nevermore fight because I still wanted to showcase Ruby's leadership skills, and I thought guiding her teammates through this unfamiliar situation was a good way to do this. Alright, and with this I'll probably take another short break from this fic in order to work on others, but I'll definitely be coming back to this so I hope to see you all again next time. Have a good one guys, and remember to R &R please. **


	4. Multiplayer Madness!

**A/N: Welp, here we go, finally got Ch. 4 done. First off, I'm glad that the last two chapters were an improvement over the first, they got some really positive feedback and I will try to keep up that kind of quality moving forward. This chapter in particular is kind of going to be a test of that since it's not really a direct adaption of a specific episode of either series, so yeah, let's see how this goes. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it and I'll see you in a bit.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Kamen Rider Ex-Aid**

* * *

 **Multiplayer Madness!**

Teams RWBY and JNPR were all seated around a table in the CR, Professor Ozpin seated at the head while Professor Goodwitch stood at his side. The young Huntsmen in training waited anxiously as their Headmaster took what seemed to be the longest sip of coffee in history before setting his personalized mug on the table, giving his students his full attention.

"Now then, first off allow me to apologize." He began. "To be frank, the majority of you should not have ever been made aware of any of this, however rather then force your silence, I believe it would be much more beneficial to instead ask for your cooperation. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions regarding the events of initiation, and I will be happy to answer them all to the best of my abilities. So, where shall we start?" He finished, turning the metaphorical mic to the young group of students.

Of course they all had a mountain of questions to ask, but somehow they all knew that just blurting out the first one that came to mind all at the same time wouldn't get them anywhere. As such, everyone seemed to defer to their leaders once again, and just as before, Ruby took the initiative.

"Uh, well, I guess we've all kind of been wondering… why were we attacked by a video game character?" She inquired awkwardly, truly saying it out loud just made it sound all the more ridiculous.

"I believe Jaune referred to it as a… "Bugster"." Pyrrha added for clarification.

"Of course, I understand that this must seem rather absurd, I could hardly believe it myself, but I ask you to keep an open mind." Ozpin replied in his typical laid-back demeanor. "Are you all familiar with the Genm Corporation by any chance?" He questioned.

"The video game company?" Yang said.

"Hmph, of course _they_ would have something to do with all of this." Weiss huffed irritably at the mention of the corporation.

"Wait, I thought you didn't know anything about Genm Corp." Jaune inquired.

"Oh please, just because I don't play their silly little games doesn't mean I don't know about them." Weiss replied. "They are perhaps the only company in all of Remnant whose size and power is comparable to that of the Schnee Dust Company, as such they are also the only company to ever be in competition with us."

"Why would the world's largest producer of Dust be in competition with a video game company?" Ren asked as he tried his best to keep Nora in her seat, the girl clearly more interested in the room then anything they had to say.

"Genm Corp. does much more then just video games." Ozpin interjected. "Well, perhaps that's not the right way to put it. It's true that Genm Corp. is exclusively a video game production company, and everything they do is for the purpose of creating greater, more enjoyable games, but from that drive came great innovations in software and computer-human interface technology. Most things from communication networks to Artificial Intelligence have been impacted by the technology created by Genm Corp. for their games." He explained, impressing all except Weiss, who simply rolled her eyes in annoyance. "That being said, they do a lot of business with the Atlesian Military, and the transition from gaming software to practical technology can be rather… tricky."

"So what, when it goes bad we end up with murderous video games?" Blake said skeptically.

"I'm afraid it is not quite that simple." Ozpin lamented. "Perhaps I should start at the beginning. About five years ago, the Genm Corporation had completed their most groundbreaking project to date, they developed software that could generate matter from computer data, and more importantly, convert real world matter into computer data. Of course Genm Corp. created this technology to be used in their games, to bring the real and virtual worlds closer then ever before, but as usual, the Atlesian Military saw other uses for the software. As I'm sure you all know, studying the Creatures of Grimm is an incredibly difficult task, those kept in captivity typically either escape or die, not to mention the fact that their bodies evaporate shortly after death. The Atlesian Military was convinced that Genm Corp. new creation was the solution to this age old problem, if they could convert the Creatures of Grimm into data and perfectly reconstruct them within a virtual space, they could finally study them in depth, perhaps even forgo observation and simply discover the Grimm's secrets directly, pick them apart code by code to truly see what makes them tick."

"Wow, that does sound like a good idea." Ruby said as she intently listened to the story.

"The Atlesian council thought so as well, so much so that they immediately requested a field test." Ozpin continued. "They gave Genm Corp. the required funding and resources and hasted them to make a practical "containment unit" for the expedition. And so they produced for them ten prototype devices that they called Gashats."

"Gashats… you mean like this thing?" Jaune said as he pulled out his Mighty Action X Gashat.

"Yes, precisely Mr. Arc." Ozpin confirmed. "Each one had the conversion software installed and used data from one of ten games as the basis for the virtual space inside. With these "Proto-Gashats" the Atlesian Military captured hordes of Grimm for study, and observation of the Grimm within the virtual space went without a hitch... at first." Ozpin said ominously, the students listening much more intently.

"One thing that was always certain about the Grimm was their hatred for Humanity and all of its creations, so as you would expect they didn't take kindly to being corralled in the artificial worlds of the Proto-Gashats. It started off subtly, a few glitches in the system, a few bugs that were easily fixed, but quickly these hiccups became much more frequent and increasingly more severe, until the system's data became corrupted beyond repair. To this day we're not entirely sure what happened, our best guess is that the Gashats simply couldn't handle coding the pure negativity that constituted the Grimm's very being; regardless, by the time they recognized the dangers of keeping the Gashats operational, it was already too late. The corruption spread to the conversion software itself… and the Grimm corrupted data was released all across Atlas. However, the data was so corrupted that it became incapable of taking physical form on its own, and so it began integrating itself with the only organisms on the planet capable of providing them with the cells that they required."

"…Humans." Yang breathed solemnly, recalling the ordeal with her friend.

"I'm afraid so." Ozpin confirmed. "On that day, hereby referred to as Zero Day, hundreds of citizens within Atlas and its surrounding territories were infected with the corrupted data. A vast majority simply died from the stress placed on their bodies, others still merely transformed into common Grimm that were easily dispatched, but a small percentage of the infected had their bodies properly assimilated, resulting in a Creature of Grimm that not only had a heightened sense of self, but whose form and abilities were taken from the data of a character from the game they originated from. The Atlesian Military has dubbed these creatures Bugsters, and the corrupted data they originate from, the Bugster Virus." The room was silent as the students all processed the information they were given; it was a lot to take in and probably would've been impossible to believe had they not faced the power of the Bugsters first hand.

"…Hundreds of people," Pyrrha said, breaking the silence. "With that many victims how is it possible that we haven't heard of any of this until now?"

"Because the Atlesian Military was very careful that none of it was made public." Ozpin replied. "From what we could gather, the Bugster Virus acts very much like an ordinary illness, and at the time treatment was impossible, can you imagine how the masses would have reacted if they were told that the kingdoms were no longer safe, that they could be transformed into monsters just as easily as they could catch a cold."

"…There would be panic… and panic would bring the Grimm." Ren stated, by now Nora was just as distraught as the rest.

"Exactly, so as cruel as it may seem, the events of Zero Day were kept secret, the only people who know of the Bugster Virus outside of this room are high ranking officials within the four kingdoms, and a few select personnel within the Genm Corporation." Ozpin stated. "Thankfully there had been no other major outbreaks since Zero Day, but since the Bugsters born from that disaster are still out there somewhere we still required some sort of countermeasure. It took five years, but Genm Corp. has managed to debug the data from the ten games the Bugsters originated from and created an apparatus for humans to safely utilize that data to combat the Bugsters."

"Apparatus, you mean the belt thing Jaune used to transform, right?" Ruby inquired, remembering the strange looking device.

"Precisely, the aptly named Gamer Driver." Ozpin confirmed, Jaune pulling out the device in question as if to use for visual aid. "As you all know, traditional weaponry is ineffective against the Bugsters, we're not quite certain why, but since they originated from game data, it stood to reason that game data could harm them, and thus the Kamen Rider system was created. The system's function is two fold; separate the Bugster Virus from its human host, and then safely destroy it; so far this system is the only countermeasure that has successfully treated a patient." He explained.

"If that's true, then why not just make more Drivers and give them to more… experienced Huntsmen?" Weiss suggested.

"The Gamer Drivers are tricky to manufacture due to a lack of resources available to the Genm Corporation, that combined with how costly they are to make and how difficult it is to create Rider Gashats, mass production is simply not an option at this point." Ozpin answered.

"So… It's just gonna be me fighting against the Bugsters?" Jaune said, swallowing a knot that had formed in his throat.

"Now I never said that." Ozpin assured before taking a sip of his coffee. "While true that mass production is out of the question, building four or five of them is well within Genm Corp.'s power, in fact they have assured us that another transformation system will be sent to us within the week."

"DIBS!" Ruby exclaimed, practically jumping up from her seat with her hand raised like an enthusiastic child. Ozpin couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's outburst.

"I'm sure you would do a fine job Ms. Rose, but as it stands the council has chosen Ms. Nikos to receive the Gamer Driver." He stated, surprising the champion.

"What, me?" Pyrrha said quizzically.

"Aww, no fair." Ruby sighed disappointedly.

"Sorry Rubes." Yang said to her moping sister.

"Can't say I wouldn't have made the same call." Blake admitted.

"Of course it was the right call, who better to protect humanity than a world renowned champion." Weiss agreed, Pyrrha once again becoming awkward at the praise. "Actually, I'm surprised they didn't just give her that one in the first place." She added, but everyone knew what she really wanted to say, that is why was Jaune given one over Pyrrha, if even at all.

"Uhh, well, that's…" Jaune awkwardly tried to defend himself.

"Mr. Arc's participation in this endeavor was… coincidental." Ozpin interjected. "From what I've heard, it was an emergency situation and there was no time to get any of the preapproved candidates on the scene, and so Mr. Arc was forced to take action, to become Kamen Rider Ex-Aid." He explained, much to Jaune's gratitude. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you all how much of an exceptional job he has been doing so far, and I'm sure Ms. Nikos will not disappoint, but regardless two Huntsmen in training is hardly enough to manage the Bugster Virus, especially if another outbreak comparable to Zero Day were to occur, and so that brings me to the rest of you." He said, setting down his mug once again.

"I've told you all of this because I want to ask you all to continue supporting Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos, whether that be fighting alongside them as you had done today, or aiding in diagnosis." He stated.

"Diagnosis?" Ren said quizzically. As if on cue, Professor Goodwitch placed a large briefcase on the table and opened it to reveal eight strange devices that greatly resembled stethoscopes.

"These are for you all, the… Game Scopes." Goodwitch reluctantly introduced the poorly named device. "We are uncertain how infection occurs and individual symptoms vary; it is imperative that a Bugster not manifest in a crowded area and endanger civilians, and so we ask you all to keep these Game Scopes with you at all times and test anyone you suspect to be infected. If they do in fact have the virus, please bring them here for treatment." She explained and Jaune and Pyrrha each took one.

"So, you're asking us to be their Nurses?" Weiss deduced.

"I suppose Kamen Riders could be considered doctors due to the nature of their enemies, so I'll have to say that the answer is yes." Ozpin confirmed. "You can all refuse of course, and all that will be asked of you is to keep all of this a secret. So long as none of you breath a word of this to anyone, you will not be approached on the subject of Bugsters or Kamen Riders ever again, you will be free to spend your four years here at Beacon as ordinary Huntsmen in training, learning how to handle a threat rather then combat the one right in front of you." The professor condescendingly assured. Everyone took a moment to consider their options, but it took very little time for Ruby to reach forward and claim a Game Scope.

"I'm in." She said simply, to Ozpin's silent approval.

"Well if Ruby's in, then count me in to." Yang said as she grabbed a Game Scope for herself.

"There's no denying it's the right thing to do." Blake reasoned, taking one of the devices as well.

"Regardless of how ridiculous this whole situation is." Weiss added as she procured one of her own.

"We're a team now, it's only natural that we all share any burden you have to carry." Ren stated as he claimed the penultimate Game Scope.

"Ren, everyone." Jaune breathed, incredibly grateful for all of their support. All that was left was one last Game Scope, and one ginger haired ball of spunk that had yet to answer. Everyone's attention was placed on her and Ren was surprised to see normally energetic human thunderstorm just sitting there, staring blankly at her own lap, contemplating perhaps.

"Nora?" Ren called to her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Huh, o-oh right, yeah, totally." Nora said frantically, snatching the last Game Scope with her typical hyperactive speed. "Those Bugsters won't know what hit them with the eight of us on the prowl!" She said in her usual demeanor.

"Excellent, I am very glad to…"

"YAY~, WELCOME TO THE CR!" Ozpin was interrupted by the high-pitched squealing of Poppy. All of the students jumped in their seats as they turned to the source of the voice, the girl in question being displayed on one of the computer screens behind them.

"What the, Poppy?" Jaune said, the virtual girl covering her mouth once she realized her outburst. "Were you there the whole time?"

"Uh, ha ha…" She laughed awkwardly in response.

"It's quite alright Poppy, as you said they are all part of the CR now, so feel free to introduce yourself." Ozpin said.

"Yes~, Professor Ozpin sir!" Poppy happily replied. "My name is Poppy Pipopapo, I'll be your navigator through this Bugster fighting game, it's very nice to meet you all!" She cheerfully introduced herself.

"Uh, hello." Ruby greeted in return.

"Navigator?" Blake wondered out loud.

"You know, like the NPCs in games that tell you how to play." Jaune explained.

"Basically she is an assistant assigned to guide you in the battle against the Bugsters." Glynda added. "Regardless of her appearance, she is a valuable source of information and will no doubt be a great asset to you all." Little did the Huntress realize that as she spoke, Poppy had appeared on the monitor behind her and much to everyone's shock, hopped out of it to stand right behind the unsuspecting teacher.

"That's right~, if you have any questions, feel free to come and ask me!" She exclaimed, making Glynda jump a bit in surprise.

"Um, certainly, we'll be sure to do that." Pyrrha replied politely.

"Honestly, just what did we get ourselves into." Weiss lamented, as the virtual girl made real began happily dancing in place.

* * *

The brittle wall of the old style arcade cracked under the force of a boy's body being slammed against it. Beaten and bloody the young man slid off the wall, no energy left in him to fight as he looked up at his assailant. A tall person whose face was hidden behind a hood, sunglasses, and the high collar of his coat, making it completely impossible to identify who they were, young or old, man or woman, it was anyone's guess, but one thing anyone could agree on was that they were intimidating.

"Hmph, that's what you get for assaulting me just because you lost, talk about a sore loser." The hooded player said in a distorted voice, obviously they had some sort of voice changer hidden behind their collar. All other patrons just looked on in fright after witnessing the vicious beating this man had given his opponent; nobody wanted to get in the middle of that.

"Sheesh, what a waste of time, I was falling asleep at the controls these game are so easy." They complained as they began to approach the helpless, pummeled boy, their hand reaching into their pocket.

"W-wait, hold on just a…" The boy pleaded, wanting nothing more to be spared another beating, especially with any sort of weapon involved. He was silenced however by his assailant's boot to his face, shoving it back up against the already cracked wall and held there. However, rather than a knife or gun, what the hooded gamer pulled out was a can of yellow spray paint, shaking it in preparation.

"Like I thought, there's only one game worth playing in this crummy town." They said as they began drawing on the damaged wall. "…And of course, there's only one person worth playing against." They added before pulling out a can or red spray paint from the other pocket and quickly adding the finishing touches to their artwork. The hooded player took a moment to admire their handiwork before giving an amused chuckle and finally releasing the boy's, who fell limp onto the floor.

Without saying another word more, the hooded gamer pulled out a Genm Play Pad and began playing as they exited the establishment, however the tension amongst the other gamers remained as they looked at the tag that they mysterious person left.

A yellow J with a red X crossing it out.

* * *

Morning came once again to the Beacon Dormitories; it was well within the first week of classes and many of the students, including Team RWBY, had gotten into the swing of things. Team JNPR on the other hand was suffering from a few… difficulties.

The rays of the morning sun filled the dorm room, gently stirring Jaune from his peaceful slumber as his eyes fluttered open. Realizing it was morning; the blond sat up and let out a loud yawn, turning his body to get out of bed when he was met with the scanner of the Game Scope.

"Gah!" Jaune gasped as the device was switched on, the flash of the screen appearing made him lean back and hit his head on the wall.

"Team Leader's all clear!" The familiar voice of Nora announced.

"Again Nora?" Jaune complained as he rubbed the back of his head in pain. "I thought I told you to quit it with that."

"And I told _you_ that you could never be too careful." Nora defended with her usual excuse.

"And _I_ told _you_ …" Jaune began to counter when he finally noticed Nora's unusual attire. "Nora, what's up with the nurse's uniform?"

"Oh this," Nora replied cheerily. "Well I was thinking, I know you said going up and scanning random students was _way_ to suspicious, and I guess I can see your point, but a "school nurse" checking on the well being of the students isn't suspicious at all!" She explained with her usual bubbly fervor.

"…But, I think people will still be…" Jaune tried to argue when Ren stepped out of the bathroom, about ready for the day.

"Give it up Jaune, it'll be easier on all of us if we just go with it." He insisted, and Jaune had to admit he was right, growing up with seven sisters he knew it wasn't easy to get an bubbly, extroverted girl to change her mind about anything.

"Good morning." Pyrrha said as she entered the room, having come back from a morning jog. The moment she was through the door, Nora was in her face with the Game Scope, much to the champion's surprise.

"All clear, but next time, don't forget to scan before you leave." Nora instructed with a slight edge in her voice. Pyrrha just let out an awkward laugh in confirmation, glancing at her teammates who only gave her a sympathetic shrug.

* * *

As expected, the change in attire only caused more suspicion, if anything it rekindled interest in what students were beginning to accept as a harmless nuisance over the past week. But now as Nora stood "professionally" at the entrance to Professor Port's classroom, mumbling "clear" as each student passed the scanner without revealing anything, the rest of Team JNPR received dirty looks for not being able to reign in their ginger haired teammate. It was worse when class started, if anyone so much as sniffled Nora was immediately in their face with the Game Scope, going completely unnoticed by the teacher as he told another of his bombastic stories. This went on for _every_ class that morning, to various degrees of scrutiny from the supervising faculty, but luckily nobody took Nora's examinations seriously, not once did anyone consider the possibility that there could actually be some epidemic that she was attempting to prevent, at least that worked in their favor, but for how long?

Finally, lunch period rolled around and Team JNPR joined Team RWBY in the cafeteria as per routine, even Nora took a break from her crusade to relay the events of a dream she had the night before to the group.

"…And after I tried to communicate with it, it turns out the sloth could speak people words, so that just made the interrogation that much easier…" Nora rambled as the two teams absentmindedly listened. However, Jaune noticed that the heiress on Team RWBY had a sour look on her face that only got progressively worse as she listened to Nora talk.

"…Ok, I'm sorry, but I just can't take you seriously in that outfit." She interrupted, gaining everyone's attention.

"Really, _that's_ why you can't take her seriously?" Yang quipped at Nora's eccentricities.

"Well, less seriously than usual." Weiss corrected. "I mean honestly, you look ridiculous, and all that getup has done is draw more attention to yourself, it's pointless!"

"You don't have to be so harsh about it Weiss." Ruby interjected in an attempt to keep the peace.

"Well I'm sorry, but this whole situation is absurd enough without this girl going and playing dress up." Weiss argued.

"Oh yeah," Nora replied before anything else could be said. "Well, maybe if somebody didn't spend all of her time just complaining, I wouldn't have to take such extreme measures." Nora said, everyone shocked at the girl's sudden change in demeanor as she met the Schnee's glare.

"Excuse me, how dare you, I know how important our job is, but running around like a maniac checking anyone with a runny nose isn't going to help anyone!" Weiss shot back.

"Guys, keep it down, people are starting to stare." Jaune stated.

"Then let them stare, if you ask me this whole "secret" thing is stupid!" Nora snapped at their leader, making the boy retreat back to his seat. "Maybe if everyone knew what was going on they would be more careful about where they blow their noses, or what they cough on or…" Nora stopped her rant once the distinct sound of sneezing pounded against her eardrum. Turning to its source, her eyes widened once she saw a student having a sneezing fit in the cafeteria line, his eyes red and irritated and nose overflowing with snot.

"CONTAMINATION!" She exclaimed before taking off full sprint towards the "patient".

"Wait, Nora, stop!" Ren called as he and the rest of their group chased after her. As soon as the student saw the mob of people coming towards him, he fled for his life, the rest of the hungry Huntsmen parting to allow the frantic girl and her friends passage.

"Thought you could hide from me huh, thought you could contaminate the food and create an army huh; well not on my watch you don't!" Nora ranted as she chased the student throughout the halls of the academy.

"Contaminate… n-no, I'm not sick, it's just allergy season!" The student insisted as he desperately tried to out run his pursuer.

"A likely story!" Nora rebuked as she hit a few keys on her scroll. Suddenly, one of the rocket propelled lockers burst through the ceiling and landed right in the student's path of escape, forcing him to stop in his tracks. With a triumphant grunt, Nora tackled the boy into the locker and while keeping him pinned to it she scanned him with the Game Scope, results turning up… negative.

"Oh, never mind, you're fine." Nora said in an innocent voice, letting the boy fall to the floor, panting from broth exhaustion or fear.

"Nora!" Ren cried as he and the other finally caught up to her.

"Oh, hey guys, don't worry, it was a false alarm." She assured, but she seemed to be ignored.

"…I'm so sorry about her… are you ok?" Jaune panted before he helped the accused student to his feet.

"Dude, that girl is a psycho, keep her on a leash or something!" The student exclaimed as he shuffled away, his hand on what was presumed to be an injured back.

"Well that was a crummy "thank you" for confirming your health." Nora scoffed, even though the boy was out of earshot.

"Nora!" Ren said in a firm voice that made everyone flinch in surprise. The ordinarily calm and composed Lie Ren now had his face contorted into what could just barely be described as a look anger, but it was enough for Nora to feel small, as if staring into the face of an angry parent. "I'm sorry but this is _not_ ok."

"What… what do you mean Ren?" Nora asked, her eyes meeting the floor in guilt.

"Hovering over our classmates and disrupting class is one thing, but you can't chase students all across campus the moment they blow their nose." Ren stated. Pyrrha was about to jump to the girl's defense, but Jaune held her back, they all knew this had to be done, and Ren was the only one who could do it.

"But… but he was sneezing all over the food, if he was infected then…" Nora tried to defend.

"But he _wasn't_ infected Nora." Ren shut her down immediately. "Now, not only was what you did not helpful, but it made everybody more suspicious of us, at the very least now they know there's a "disease" or "virus" they should be on the look out for."

"But… but…" Nora desperately tried to rebuke.

"Nora, I know you're just trying to help, and we all can appreciate that, but you have to start thinking a little bit before you act… I'm not always going to be around to reign you in." Ren lectured. Nora's eyes widened slightly at the last statement, a sudden change in demeanor that only Ren could fully notice, one that was all to familiar to him.

"You… you won't…" She breathed as her troubled gaze hit the floor. Before Ren could reply, Nora suddenly began shivering, wrapping herself in her own arms before crouching down on the ground.

"Nora?" Ren said with concern as he kneeled down next to her.

"Brrrrr, who turned up the AC, it's freezing in here." Nora complained as she rubbed her arms in a desperate attempt to warm herself.

"Freezing?" Pyrrha said quizzically.

"It feels fine to me." Blake insisted.

"Yeah, same here." Yang confirmed.

"No, it can't be." Ren said with wide eyes as he took out his own Game Scope and scanned his partner, the screen showing multiple trios of red wavy lines fading in and out around Nora's body. "Is this…?"

"Bugster Virus!" Jaune confirmed.

"WHAT!" Nora exclaimed in absolute horror. "Th-that's impossible, I scanned myself this morning, before class, ten minutes ago…!" She rambled frantically.

"Nora, it's ok, we'll just get you to the CR and everything will be fine." Ren insisted as he went to help the girl to her feet.

"No, don't touch me, you'll get infected to!" Nora exclaimed as she swatted his hand away and inched further away from the group.

"Nora, just calm down…" Ren tried to calm her down, inching closer to her. Suddenly, Nora's eyes began glowing bright red, the frightened expression on her face changing to a serious glare as she stood up.

"…Commencing counterattack…" She said, her voice fading into someone else's entirely. She was engulfed in the "Bugster Blisters", forcing everyone to back away as they morphed into the form of a giant double barrel revolver, the revolving chamber made out of the same white, boney substance as the Grimm masks.

"The Bugster's breaking out!" Ruby cried.

"Nora…" Ren breathed in horror as he stared up at the creature that was once his dear friend.

"Everyone get back!" Jaune instructed, standing between them and the Bugster Union as he strapped on his Gamer Driver and activated his Rider Gashat.

" _Mighty Action X!_ " The device announced as a Game Area generated in the corridor.

"Henshin!" Jaune cried before placing the Gashat in the driver.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The driver sang as Jaune was transformed into Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 1.

"Wait, you're going to fight it here, in the school?" Weiss inquired incredulously.

"Not a chance." Ex-Aid replied before hitting the switch on the Kimewaza Slot holder.

" _Stage Select!_ " The Driver announced as images of various locations began orbiting Ex-Aid, eventually settling on a forest. The image expanded and engulfed the area and suddenly the Huntsmen in training found themselves in the middle of forest identical the one from the image.

" **Whoa…!** " Everyone gasped in amazement.

"Genm Corp. really thought of everything, this way I can pretty much take the fight wherever I want." Ex-Aid praised before preparing for battle. The Bugster Union let out a cry, the chamber spinning as the ammo inside began to glow red.

"Look out!" Yang exclaimed before two blasts of red energy shot out of both barrels. The two teams all leaped out of the way, narrowly escaping the blast, and the seven "nurses" took cover as they let the "doctor" go to work.

With Ex-Aid the only one out in the open, the Bugster Union immediately focused on him, firing another shot at him with Ex-Aid leaping up onto a floating Chocolate Block to avoid it. The Bugster Union readjusted its position in the air and fired another blast, Ex-Aid jumping from the block and from tree to tree in order to get to another block that was on the opposite side. However, unlike before, the Bugster Union didn't immediately turn to him, instead its chamber spun, the dim "eyes" within lighting up again, and then it turned to look for him.

"Hmm…" Ex-Aid hummed in thought before being forced to leap out of the way of another shot. This time he just jumped off and landed right below the block before dashing forward, which made the Bugster seem to panic as it fired another shot at him. Ex-Aid tucked and rolled underneath it, the Union flipping itself upside down before firing a third shot that just narrowly missed the Rider. Ex-Aid steadied himself before looking up at the Bugster; it remained upside down as its chamber spun again.

"Three shots then it needs to reload huh…" Ex-Aid observed as he summoned the Gashacon Breaker. Once reloaded, the Bugster Union readjusted itself and fired again, Ex-Aid merely sidestepped to avoid the first shot but had to leap into a tree to avoid the next. On the third shot Ex-Aid leapt out of the tree and swung the Gashacon Breaker at two floating Chocolate Block, each breaking open to reveal a blue and a yellow Energy Item.

"Jackpot!" Ex-Aid exclaimed joyously as he collected the yellow one.

" _Speed Up!_ " The Game Area announced. As Ex-Aid expected, the Bugster Union remained perfectly still as it reloaded, allowing the powered up Ex-Aid to unleash a barrage of attacks on the enemy, bouncing all over the field hitting the creature with his weapon as he passed by. Eventually however, the Bugster finished reloading and honed in on the Kamen Rider, who surprisingly was now standing still on a Chocolate Block. Focusing the rest of his Energy Item power, Ex-Aid leaped forward and spun rapidly, the Bugster's following shots deflected by the spinning Gashacon Breaker before the two collided. Three figures fell out of the resulting explosion, Ex-Aid landing safely on his feet, Nora's dazed form falling onto the grass, and the separated Bugster falling off to the side.

"Nora!" Ren exclaimed as he and the rest rushed up to help while Ex-Aid stood between them and the Bugster. "Nora, Nora can you hear me, Nora!" Ren pleaded as he held the girl in his arms.

"Ren, we need to get back into cover!" Pyrrha insisted.

"Don't worry Ren, she'll be fine once I clear this last level." Ex-Aid assured him, the boy giving him a nod before taking Nora and carrying her back into cover with the others. The Bugster then stood back up and faced the two teams, it was a heavily armored solider like monster with a large machine gun in place of its right arm, and a smaller one strapped on its left wrist, its artillery rounded off by a cannon strapped to its back; needless to say it was prepared for war.

"Hey, isn't that…?" Ruby wondered out loud.

"Yeah, this time its Commander Revol, the main villain of Bang Bang Shooting, a game that's been in development hell for like seven years now." Ex-Aid confirmed.

"Troops, prepare for battle!" The Revol Bugster exclaimed as it summoned a small platoon of Bugster Soldiers, all dressed in camouflage.

"Alright, let's clear this game with no continues!" Ex-Aid declared as he reached down to pull the lever on the Gamer Driver. However, just as it was in his hand, the familiar sound of the Mighty Action X jingle echoed around them, a purple Game Area expanding and combining with the one already produced.

"Huh?" Ex-Aid said with a cocked head. Everyone looked to the source of the pulse of data and were met with a shocking sight. Standing amidst the trees in the forest was another Level 1 Kamen Rider, Gamer Driver and all, and if it weren't for the black "hair" and red eyes, Ex-Aid could swear he was looking into a mirror.

"What the, isn't that…?" Ex-Aid said quizzically, but the Rider remained silent. With a single flick of his wrist, the Rider opened the lever of the Gamer Driver.

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Migh~ty Actio~n X!_ " The Driver sang as the Level Up Screen enveloped the Rider, leveling him up. There now stood what could only be described as a Black Ex-Aid, his form identical to Action Gamer Level 2 were it not for the alternative color pallete and the strange game pad like weapon he carried.

"No way." Ruby said in disbelief.

"Another Kamen Rider?" Weiss added.

"Huh, but I thought Pyrrha was supposed to get the second Gamer Driver!" Ex-Aid wondered as he looked between his partner and the Rider, as if to make sure they were in fact separate people. "Not to mention it's just a pallete swap of my form, it's kind of disappointing actually." He added with dissatisfaction.

"Hmph, it doesn't matter how many of you there are, my army will never fall!" The Revol Bugster proclaimed, returning everyone's attention to it.

"Oh yeah, we'll see about that!" Ex-Aid taunted before he once again prepared to Level Up. However, the Black Ex-Aid just scoffed under his breath as he aimed his weapon at the Level 1 Rider and open fired, much to everyone's shock. "Gah!" Ex-Aid exclaimed as he fell over from the force of the barrage of lasers.

"Hey, what was that for!?" Ruby exclaimed, shooting a glare at the Rider. However she was ignored as he hit the A button on his weapon.

" _Gyu In!_ " It announced as the Rider detached it from the handle, turned it around, and reattached it with the chainsaw half facing forward.

"Whoa, w-wait, hold on a second…!" Ex-Aid pleaded as he got back to his feet and the Rider charged at him. At the last second Ex-Aid switched the Gashacon Breaker to blade mode and the two weapons clashed, the chainsaw blade grinding against Ex-Aid's weapon as the under leveled warrior struggled to hold on.

"Ha ha ha, infighting already, you'll never defeat my army like that!" Revol gloated. "Troops advance!" He ordered and his Bugster Soldiers complied, readying their firearms and charging forward. Underneath the helmet, the new Rider put on an annoyed scowl before he gave up the struggle with Ex-Aid and kicked him out of the way.

" _Chu Don!_ " The weapon announced as he switched it back to beam gun mode. Without even looking, the Rider fired a single beam at the closest Bugster, killing it, and then doing so again over its opposite shoulder, killing yet another. This made the others hesitate for a moment, but that was all the Rider needed; he turned on his heel and waved his arm in a wide arc, firing at each one of the Bugster Soldiers and killing them.

"Eh, you're kidding me, my army!" The Bugster cried in disbelief before he suddenly found himself staring down the two barrels of the Rider's beam gun.

"…Beat it." The Rider in a distorted voice said, much to everyone's shock. "You're in the way."

"…Hmph, fine, I guess a tactical retreat isn't such a bad idea." The Bugster replied before simply turning to leave.

"No, wait…!" Ex-Aid demanded as he attempted to go after the Bugster, only to be met with a swift kick to the face from his doppelganger.

"Wait, he's letting it go!?" Ren exclaimed.

"Oh for the love of... pick a damn side already!" Yang shouted with exasperation at the new Rider's mixed signals.

"Gah…what are you doing?" Ex-Aid said as he struggled to his feet. "If we don't defeat that Bugster, then Nora's going to…" He didn't dare finish that sentence, urgency and desperation dripping from every word.

"Disappear, yeah I know." The Rider stated with a clearly disinterested tone.

"Eh… if you know, then why…!" Ex-Aid demanded.

"Fighting these low level NPCs is no fun, this game's got bigger fish for me to fry." The Rider replied simply with a casual shrug of his shoulders as he approached Ex-Aid. "Besides… PvP was always more my style." He added as he switched his weapon back into chainsaw mode. Everyone was shocked at how lightly this new Rider was taking the situation, they all couldn't help but get angry, especially Ren as he clutched the unconscious Nora in his arms, her form sparking with the Bugster Virus.

"Forget it, I don't have time for you, I'm going after that Bugster, just try and stop me!" Ex-Aid declared as he got back to his feet. "Dai-Hensh…!" He began as he posed before going to pull the lever, only for the black Rider to swiftly kick his hand away and attempt to slice him with his weapon. The Chainsaw roared as Ex-Aid quickly side stepped to avoid it, only for the black Rider to land a side kick to his chest, Ex-Aid doing a backward roll to avoid falling on the ground. The moment he stood back up he tried to Level Up, only for the black Rider to close the distance and hit him with an upward diagonal slash, making him stagger, and followed up with a horizontal slash to his face, sending Ex-Aid rolling on the ground. Suddenly, Ex-Aid's chest let out a strange alarm, the Rider looking down to see that his Rider Gauge was getting dangerously low, that certainly couldn't be good. Just as the under leveled gamer struggled back to his feet, the black Rider closed the distance between them with a single leap and came down on him with the chainsaw, the force of the serrated blade grinding into Ex-Aid's chest as it jabbed into him sent him flying. Ex-Aid's Rider Gauge stopped just short of hitting zero, and the force of the strike along with rolling on the ground was enough to force the Rider Gashat out of the Gamer Driver.

" _Gashun!_ " The driver announced before Ex-Aid's Level 1 form faded away into pixels, leaving the weak and injured body of Jaune Arc behind. Suddenly, the forest around them began to fade away as well, Jaune's eyes meeting the visor of the black Rider one last time before the forest was replaced by the familiar sight of the corridor of the school, no traces of the battle to be found.

"We're back?" Blake wondered out loud.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried as she and Team RWBY came to his aid. Ren on the other hand could only stay still, holding Nora in his arms, unable to help either of his friends at all.

* * *

Blackness gave way to whiteness as Nora slowly opened her eyes. For some reason she felt rather exhausted and she struggled to recall her most recent memories, groaning as she stirred in the bed she seemed to be resting in.

"Nora!" She heard a familiar voice she couldn't mistake even if she tried. She looked over to her right and sitting at her bedside with none other then Ren, his face a strange mix of concern and relief.

"…Ren?" Nora said quizzically as she attempted to sit up.

"Don't get up Nora, just lay back down and rest." Ren insisted.

"What… what happened?" Nora inquired as she put her hand to her head as she shook it. It was then she noticed the strange black sparks arcing off of her hand where her skin began to pixelate like a glitchy program. She gasped as it all came back to her, and she immediately began panicking.

"VIRUS! I-I-I've got the Bugster Virus, I-I…!"

"Nora calm down, look, we're at the CR right now." Ren informed her. She looked around and saw that they were in fact inside the isolation room of the CR, a large empty room save for the bed and a desk with instruments for doctors to work on.

"But, but then why are _you_ here!?" Nora said. "I should be quarantined, you shouldn't be here, or at least you should be wearing a… a hazmat suit or something, if you get infected to I…I…" As she rambled her form became less and less visible, the stress hastening the advancement of the Bugster Virus. Quickly, Ren grabbed hold of Nora's hand, his aura flaring up and spreading to Nora, the girl immediately calming down.

"It's ok Nora, I'm right here." He said in a soothing tone. Nora breathed deeply in order to more naturally calm herself.

"…I'm sorry." She breathed as she looked down at her sheets in shame.

"Nora, what's the matter, it's not like you to let danger get to you like this." Ren inquired with concern.

"I just… I just don't want it to happen again." Nora admitted.

"What, Zero Day?" Ren said quizzically.

"Yes Zero Day!" Nora confirmed. "Things were supposed to be different in the Kingdoms, no more wondering when the next Grimm attack was going to be… when our next home was going to be destroyed." She noted solemnly. With that Ren completely understood her worries; it wasn't like the thought hadn't crossed his mind as well.

"I get it Nora, but this is what we've trained for isn't it, we came to Beacon to learn how to protect our home." Ren tried to comfort her.

"Yeah, and a lot of good that did against the last Bugster." Nora replied bitterly.

"What do you…?"

"Ren we were no help in that fight." Nora cut him off. "We beat a few grunts, but when it came to the actual threat not only couldn't we help but we were the only ones who were taken out! Face it, we're useless against Bugsters… we can't even diagnose them properly." She looked down at her sheets in depression, her game disease acting up before Ren quelled her nerves again with a squeeze of his hand.

"Listen Nora, I'm sorry about what I said to you in the hallway." Ren said.

"No, you were right, I went way overboard in my nursing duties." Nora admitted.

"That's not what I meant." Ren corrected, much to Nora's surprise. "I'm sorry for what I said after that, that I won't always be around." He recalled. "Of course I'll always be there for you, that's how we made it this far, by sticking together and having each other's backs, and I promise you, so long as I'm around nothing will happen to you. Blake is out looking for the Bugster as we speak, and once we find it, I'll do everything I can to help Jaune beat it and cure you; we'll get through this like we've always have, together." He assured her, taking her hand in both of his. Nora cracked a small smile at his words, but Ren could tell it was just a courtesy to him, and he vowed that he would stop at nothing until her real smile came back to her.

Meanwhile, Jaune looked down at them from the window of the CR management room, his face riddled with guilt as he looked at his distraught teammates. Behind him were the rest of his companions, save for Blake who had volunteered to search for the Bugster down in Vale.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha said.

"This is all my fault." He replied without so much as a glance at her. "If I hadn't let that Bugster get away…"

"But you didn't let it get away Jaune." Ruby insisted.

"Yeah, you got ambushed by that "Black Ex-Aid" creep, not to mention he wouldn't let you level up." Yang added from her seat at the table, where the rest of her remaining teammates all sat.

"Well then maybe I should've just forgot about leveling up and just fought him." Jaune rebuked.

"But then you would've been at a clear disadvantage and still would have lost." Weiss stated.

"You don't know that!" Jaune snapped, surprising everyone. "I've dealt with way larger level gaps before, this was a one level difference; a gap that small practically doesn't even exist! If I had just swallowed my pride and gave him the handicap he so desperately wanted then…!" He cut himself off and just sighed angrily, his eyes glued to the floor in a mix of anger, regret, and shame.

"Jaune, even if you did fight him, the Bugster would have been far gone by the time you would have beaten him, and we would still be here worrying about weather or not Blake will be able to find it." Pyrrha insisted with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "This is the "Black Ex-Aid's" fault, if he hadn't have interfered I have no doubt you could have handled the Bugster. You did all you could, and nobody blames you." Jaune glanced at his partner, meeting her concerned yet comforting gaze before looking back down.

"I just… I just can't help but feel like you could've done better, Pyrrha." He admitted. Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly at the statement and she went silent, clearly this conversation was over and it was time to move on.

"Poppy, did you find anything yet?" Ruby said to a DoReMiFa Beat game cabinet that was Poppy's abode. Suddenly, the screen flashed on to reveal a crestfallen Poppy.

"Sorry Ruby." She apologized with a lowered head before she hopped out of the screen. "I looked everywhere in Genm Corp. files but I couldn't find anything about a second active Kamen Rider, let alone one that also uses Mighty Action X." She informed them of her findings, or lack there of.

"Great, so we're back to having nothing." Yang sighed with regret as she lazily rested her face into her hands.

"What I would like to know is how Nora got infected in the first place." Weiss said. "If anything she was overly diligent with scanning herself and our classmates, just how did she contract the virus without anybody noticing?"

"You don't think it was actually something in the food, right?" Ruby suggested, the group considering the possibility.

"I don't believe that's the case." They heard coming from the door, everyone turning to see Ozpin and Goodwitch enter the CR.

"Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch." Weiss greeted.

"What do you mean by that?" Pyrrha inquired.

"We hate to suggest this, but considering all of the facts, it's possible that Ms. Valkyrie may have been infected since even before initiation." Goodwitch replied, much to everyone's shock.

"What, how can that be?!" Jaune exclaimed in confusion.

"We told you, she went crazy with the Game Scope and scanned herself practically every hour on the hour!" Yang added.

"There's no way we could've missed it!" Weiss insisted.

"Actually, that's very possible." Poppy admitted.

"But how?" Ruby asked.

"When I was looking through the Genm Corp. files, I found some copies of the reports of the isolated Bugster Virus cases outside of Atlas. Apparently all of those cases could be traced back to somebody who had been present in Atlas during Zero Day." Poppy explained.

"Exactly, those people were all scanned and deemed to not be infected and thus were cleared to return to their homes all across Remnant." Ozpin stated. "Back then the scanners were hastily put together and not fully tested, we had hoped that the oversight had been due to the limitations of the technology at the time, but Ms. Valkyrie's case makes it clear that that is not the case. And so, the only alternative explanation… is that the Bugster Virus can remain dormant for long periods of time, and it is only detectable once it actually begins attacking the body." He deduced.

"But… if that's true, then that means…" Ruby began.

"Yes, proactive scanning is pointless, and for all we know, everyone your teammate scanned could still be infected." Professor Goodwitch confirmed. The room went silent as the young students took in the frightening new information, Jaune looking back out at Ren and Nora through the window.

"Maybe she was right… maybe we weren't taking this seriously enough." He suggested, his comrades' silence saying it all.

"Now, now, students, I understand this is troubling, but there's no sense in being paranoid over it, it certainly didn't help Ms. Valkyrie, and it won't help anyone else." Ozpin said, regaining their attention. "Right now we must focus on curing our current patient, we can stabilize her artificially, but the only way to truly heal her is to defeat the Bugster, we can worry about everything else afterwards, agreed?" The group knew their headmaster was right, what mattered now was saving their friend, everyone exchanging determined nods of confirmation. Just then, Ruby's Game Scope began ringing, the young leader quickly fishing it out of her pocket and hitting a button, projecting a large holographic screen that depicted her partner Blake to all to see.

"Blake, any luck?" Ruby asked, straight to the point.

"Definitely, I found it wondering around the old loading docks and it went into one of the abandoned warehouses." Blake informed, crouched behind a crate.

"Alright, we got him!" Yang cried excitedly with a pumped fist.

"We'll be there right away Blake, just keep your eyes on it, ah, please." Jaune said as he and the others were about to dash out of the room.

"Hold on a second, there's more." Blake stopped them.

"More?" Weiss said quizzically.

"When I got here, I saw that… "Black Ex-Aid" lurking around here to." Blake informed, Jaune's eyes widening slightly in shock.

"The "Black Ex-Aid"!" Ruby exclaimed in reply.

"You mean that second Kamen Rider you informed us about?" Professor Goodwitch inquired, receiving a nod from Ruby.

"Unfortunately I lost track of him, but I wouldn't put it above him to try and ambush you again." Blake stated. Jaune thought back to their previous battle, if it could even be called that, he wondered whether or not he could get the job done if he interfered again. He tightened his fist in frustration.

"If he does, I'll just have to deal with it, one way or another, we clear this game today." Jaune said with determination.

"Alright, just get here soon, I'm not sure how long the Bugster will stay put, I'll call if anything changes." Blake stated before she hung up.

"I don't think there's any need to worry Mr. Arc." Ozpin interjected.

"Professor?" Jaune said quizzically.

"Glynda, if you'd please." Ozpin said to his colleague. Professor Goodwitch obliged with a nod as she walked over to stand before Pyrrha, carrying a familiar looking black case. Goodwitch opened it, Jaune peaking over Pyrrha's shoulder and gasping.

"That's… the second Gamer Driver!" Jaune exclaimed, surprising the members of Team RWBY.

"Wait, really, let me see!" Ruby said as she and her teammates crowded around, gazing at the device identical to Jaune's own Driver, coupled with a navy blue Gashat.

"It was delivered this morning, not a moment too soon it would seem." Goodwitch explained.

"Wait… no way… that Gashat, it's…" Jaune stammered in disbelief.

"It's Bang Bang Shooting, the same game Nora's Bugster is from!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, that's quite the coincidence." Weiss stated.

"This is perfect!" Jaune said with equal enthusiasm to his fellow leader. "If we're ambushed again, you can defeat General Revol while I hold off the "Black Ex-Aid"!"

"Me?" Pyrrha said in confusion.

"Duh you, you're the one getting the Driver, remember?" Yang reminded the champion.

" _So_ lucky!" Ruby cooed with playful envy.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she could defeat them both herself." Weiss boasted for the red head as usual.

"Yippee~! It's the debut of Kamen Rider Snipe!" Poppy cried happily, playfully firing at the group with a "finger gun".

"Kamen Rider… Snipe." Pyrrha mulled over the title as she took the case from Glynda, everybody eagerly awaiting her response. "I'll… do my very best." She finally said with a smile.

"Wait." Ren interrupted, climbing up from the staircase from the patient room. "…I want to do it." He said simply.

"Ren?" Jaune said with a surprised look on face, matched by the rest of his companions.

"I want to be Snipe." Ren insisted in a pleading voice.

"Young man, I understand you are concerned for your partner, but we can't just hand over the Driver just because you asked." Goodwitch replied.

"I know it is an unreasonable request, but I have to do it, it has to be me." Ren pleaded further.

"Oh, and why's that, Mr. Lie Ren?" Ozpin inquired.

"Nora's stress… it's because of me." Ren explained. "We've been protecting each other ever since we were children, so long as we were together, nothing could ever hurt us, that's the way it's always been. But now, with the Bugsters and all, she doesn't think we can still be like that… she doesn't think I can still protect her." His voice went from relatively calm to solemn on that last note, a change that even those who didn't know Ren's usual demeanor could detect. "I know I'm being selfish, but I _have_ to show her that I can still keep her safe, that we can make it through this together like we've always have, _please_ , let me use the Gamer Driver." He begged one finally time, with a bow.

Pyrrha looked upon her teammate with sympathy, and then looked down at her presented Gamer Driver, struggling with what she should do. She looked to Jaune for support, who seemed to be struggling with the decision himself, but in the end he gave her subtle nod, accompanied by a confident smile, which she returned.

"Alright, you can be Snipe then." Pyrrha replied, much to Ren and Goodwitch's surprise.

"What, Ms. Nikos you can't just hand over the Gamer Driver like that." She argued.

"But you did say that it was ultimately my choice to accept or decline the responsibility, and I doubt you have another candidate conveniently lined up." Pyrrha rebuked.

"I… well… that's…" Goodwitch stammered for a reply, the rest of the students slightly amused. "…P-Professor Ozpin, please!" She turned to her superior.

"We did say it was her choice, and it _is_ an emergency situation. I think the council will understand." Ozpin replied simply, an encouraging smile on his face. With that, Glynda just sighed in exasperation, crossed her arms, and said nothing more.

Pyrrha thus approached Ren and presented the Driver and the Gashat to him, the young Huntsmen taking the devices from the case and examined it with determination.

"Thank you, I promise I won't let you all down." Ren assured them.

"We know you won't Ren." Jaune replied, everyone sharing his confidence in their friend and comrade. "Now come on, we have a friend to save."

* * *

"Look sharp men!" The Revol Bugster ordered its army of Bugster Soldiers. "In a few short moments we will begin our assault on the Kingdom of Vale. Our objective is simple, claim the Academy, cut off all communications, and take control of the city. Once the Kingdom has fallen, that girl's stress will skyrocket and I will become a complete being! Now, move out!" It ordered its soldiers, the army beginning their march through the abandoned docks. Little did they know that they were being watched, Blake peaking at them from her hiding spot, a concerned look on her face.

"They're on the move, where are you guys!" She silently yelled into her Game Scope.

"Don't worry Blake, Jaune and Ren should be there any minute." Ruby said through the communicator. As if on cue, the blond knight and oriental gunner rushed onto the scene, the two young huntsmen confronting the sizable army of Bugsters.

"Hold it Revol!" Jaune demanded as he and his teammate stood their ground.

"Halt!" The Revol Bugster ordered with a raised hand, its army stopping their advance. "Well, I see you brought some reinforcements with you, better hope this one doesn't turn on you as well." The Bugster said with a mocking laugh.

"You ready for this Ren?" Jaune said as he strapped on his Gamer Driver.

"Just lead the way." Ren replied as he did the same. Jaune smiled in approval of his response and activated his Gashat.

" _Mighty Action X!_ " The device announced as the Game Area materialized and the Chocolate Blocks were spread.

"Henshin!" He cried as he placed the Gashat in the Driver.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Driver sang as Jaune was transformed into Action Gamer Level 1. Ren took note of his leader's transformation, then looked down at his own Gashat in his left hand. He squeezed in determination before raising it up and aiming the glass half right at the Revol Bugster, hitting the button with his index finger as if pulling the trigger of his weapon.

" _Bang Bang Shooting!_ " The Gashat announced as the game screen appeared behind him. An upbeat military rock tune played in the Game Area as blue barrel drums stained with green paint spread throughout the battlefield. Ren then handed the Gashat off to his right hand and began twirling it like a classic gunslinger, not exactly his style, but he figured Nora would've appreciated the additional flare.

"Henshin!" He parroted before twirling the Gashat one last time before seamlessly placing it into his Gamer Driver.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name!_ " The Driver sang as the ring of avatars surrounded him. He pointed at the one that seemed to fit the color scheme of his Gashat and gestured as if he were firing at it, selecting it and being engulfed in the pixelized data. " _I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " Snipe Shooting Gamer Level 1 was just as stout and awkward looking as Ex-Aid, but the head was that of a soldier similar to the one depicted on the cover of the Gashat. He wore a helmet with the STG logo on it and with many different attachments equipped to it to aid the soldier in battle. Its eyes and Rider Gauge were colored red and there was a waft of bright green "hair" that covered the entire right side of his face. Snipe took a moment to examine his new form, and experience the awkwardness of being crammed into the stubby suit.

"Well, this is rather… odd." He admitted as he moved his arms and legs around in order to get his bearings.

"Yeah, but you'll get used to it." Ex-Aid assured as he turned his attention back to the apposing army. "Alright, let's see if we can't thin out that platoon a bit, shall we." He suggested confidently as he began to stride forward. However, he didn't even take two steps before he was forced back by a barrage of lasers hitting the ground before him. Everyone looked up to the source of the attack and saw none other then the Black Ex-Aid, standing on the roof of one of the warehouses with the barrels of his weapon smoking.

"You again!" Ex-Aid exclaimed in irritation.

"Yo, figured I'd be seeing you again; no gamer worth their salt would leave a level unfinished." The Black Ex-Aid said as he relaxed his shooting arm and leaped off onto the ground. "I was hoping for a rematch, but I see you invited a friend. That's fine, I don't mind 2 v 1, though I'm not sure how much some noob is gonna help you."

"Noob or not, it doesn't matter, it's not happening!" Ex-Aid announced, much to the Rider's confusion. "It's like you said, we're here to finish the level, not to play with you!"

"You're nothing but a nuisance to us." Snipe continued. "Interfere if you want, but you'll by no means be getting our undivided attention, one way or another that Bugster dies today." He declared as he pointed incriminatingly passed the Rider and to the Bugster.

"Hmph, take your best shot maggot, if you're looking for a fight, you'll be getting a war!" The Bugster replied with militaristic fervor. "Men, open fire!" He commanded and his front line stepped forward and sprayed the area with their automatic weapons. The three Kamen Riders were then forced to take cover; the Black Ex-Aid retreated into the crevice between warehouses while Ex-Aid and Snipe hid behind a block and barrel respectively, all while the Revol Bugster let out an amused laugh.

"Sorry Ren, looks like we're gonna have to skip the tutorial." Ex-Aid lamented.

"That's alright, though if I may say, it seems that divide and conquer is become a staple strategy for us." Snipe quipped, gaining a light chuckle from Ex-Aid.

"Guess so. You remember what to do?" Ex-Aid inquired.

"Yes, now go!" Snipe replied as the bullet hell stopped, the soldiers seemingly reloading. With the momentary cease fire Ex-Aid stood from his cover and came out into the open.

"Dai-Henshin!" He announced as he pulled the lever on the Gamer Driver.

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Mighty Jump, Mighty Kick, Mighty, Mighty Action X!_ " The belt sang as Ex-Aid jumped through the level up screen, shedding his level 1 form and landing on the roof of the warehouse in his Level 2 form.

"Eh, men, take aim!" The Revol Bugster ordered his troops.

"Not so fast!" Snipe called out as he left his own cover. "You're opponent is over here. Second Tactics." He said as he gestured some sort of military signal with his hand and opened the lever.

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Ba-Ba-Bang! Bang Ba-Bang! Yow! Bang Bang Shooting!_ " The Driver sang as Snipe rolled through the level up screen. He leapt into the air and fired at a few surrounding targets before his body fell apart, leaving only his face, and out from behind popped a more appropriately proportioned Level 2 form. Snipe now wore a nave blue body suit with neon green designs on the sides of his legs and torso, and draped over his back and right shoulder was a neon green cape.

" _Gashacon Magnum!_ " The Driver announced as Snipe landed on the ground and summoned his weapon, a handgun like blaster with black and blue coloring and a large black slot at the very back. Right before the trigger it had a green A button and an orange B button similar to the Gashacon Breaker. Snipe brandished the weapon in his right hand before hitting the button on his Kimewaza Slot Holder with is left.

" _Stage Select!_ " The Driver announced as the images of possible of battlefields began orbiting the Rider, before settling on one and engulfing him and the army of Bugsters, teleporting them away.

"Good luck, Snipe." Ex-Aid said from the roof as he gazed at where his teammate once stood. Just then the Black Ex-Aid stepped into his view, the two exchanging a glare before Ex-Aid hopped back onto the ground across from his doppelganger. "Too bad, you won't be getting that handicap this time around." Ex-Aid said as he summoned the Gashacon Breaker.

"Hmph, fine by me, I wanted you at full strength this time around anyway, Ultra Player J." The Black Ex-Aid admitted Ex-Aid surprised to hear his gamer tag. "What, don't be so surprised, of course any serious gamer would know who you are… but I guess I don't warrant that same respect." He said rather bitterly before firing at his opponent. Ex-Aid refocused and charged forward, knocking several beams with the Gashacon Breaker as he closed in.

Once he was close enough, Ex-Aid leaped up and came down on the Black Ex-Aid with the Gashacon Breaker, only for him to quickly side step out of the way, the hammer instead making contact with the ground. Ex-Aid quickly stood and swung at him again, the Black Ex-Aid swiftly kicking the hammer away, but he used the momentum to turn on his heal and make a near 360 swing to the other side. However, the Black Ex-Aid brought up his arm and blocked the weapon with his own, his other hand landing a quick jab on Ex-Aid's face and following up with an outside crescent kick to the head, causing him to stagger back. The Black Ex-Aid then switched his weapon to chainsaw mode and came dashing towards him, Ex-Aid regaining his composure just in time to evade his first two swings. He then tried to counter with a swing from his hammer, only for the Black Ex-Aid to kick it away, leaving Ex-Aid open for him to land two slashes. Sparks flew as the chain grinded against Ex-Aid's exposed chest, the Rider grunting in pain as he stepped back out of range and tapped the A button on his weapon, extending the blade just in time for it to clash with his opponent's, the two exchanging a glare before they began dueling with their blades.

* * *

"Troops, fire at will!" Revol ordered his army as they scattered across the battlefield. Snipe's Stage Select had teleported them to what seemed to be a makeshift army-training field, trash scattered around and piled up to act as cover and rusted, discarded cranes made for "higher ground".

The moment they arrived, Snipe made quick use of the cover, kneeling behind a few barrels as the Bugster Soldiers took their own positions around him. The Bugsters began firing their rifles at the spot they saw their target take cover behind, but Snipe remained calm as always, listening carefully to the shots being fired. Once the firing stopped, Snipe stood over his cover and aimed the Gashacon Magnum at the exposed Bugster's and started firing. Each yellow blast hit its mark, the Rider killing four Bugsters before the rest disappeared behind cover. With no other targets, Snipe was forced to do the same; it went quiet, each side waiting for the other to make the next move. Eventually, Snipe heard footsteps, the Bugsters had taken the cease-fire to advance on him, but he wasn't going to be caught off guard. Snipe hit the B button on his weapon, the barrel flashing momentarily before Snipe stood back up and pulled the trigger. Out from the Gashacon Magnum came a spray of machine gun fire, catching the advancing Bugsters completely off guard, the barrage riddling them with HIT graphics as they fell over and pixelated.

Just when he thought he was in the clear, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, catching a HIT graphic just out of the corner of his eye. He looked over and saw no one, only for another blast to nail him in the chest and sending falling the ground. It was then that he saw his attackers; two Bugster Soldiers wielding snipers perched on one of the cranes up above.

"Oh shoot!" Snipe cursed under his breath as he quickly got to his feet and ran, just barely avoiding two more shots. He searched for more optimal cover, the Bugster Soldiers taking the opportunity to get to him while he was running out in the open. Snipe hit the B button again and fired at any Bugster that got into his line of sight, clearing a path for him to get behind a new pile of trash that more properly concealed him from the snipers.

"Yeah, they're way to far to hit with a pistol." Snipe deduced as he peaked over his cover. "Well in that case." He said as he hit the A button on the Gashacon Magnum.

" _Zu Kyun!_ " The weapon announced as it folded open and extended, transforming into a rifle. He steadied the weapon on a barrel and looked through the scope to aim, a target graphic appearing on the Bugster sniper once he had it on the crosshairs. He pulled the trigger and a powerful blast traveled across the field and hit the sniper in the head, defeating it, and a moment later its partner met the same fate. However, there was no time to rest as another group of Bugster Soldiers came at him from behind. Ready for them, Snipe hit the B button, turned around, and aimed the gun, a large crosshairs appear in front of him that followed the barrel of the gun, a target graphic appear on every Bugster within its sights. With a loud grunt, Snipe pulled the trigger, the blast splitting apart and hitting all seven of them at once.

Once he was in the clear, Snipe kneeled back down behind his cover waiting for the next attack. However, rather then the sound of rifle fire or the footsteps of advancing Bugsters, he heard a loud blast coming from far behind him. Before he had time to realize what it was, a large cannon blast destroyed his cover, Snipe himself also getting caught in the explosion. The Rider was propelled forward with great force and fell flat on his face, a large chunk of his Rider Gauge depleting from the devastating hit.

"Ha! Found you maggot!" The Revol Bugster mocked as it stood back up straight, the cannon on its back still smoking. "You may have defeated my army, but I'll be more than enough to take care of you!" It declared before aiming the machine guns on his arms at the Rider. Snipe quickly got back on his feet at the sight of the weapons and bolted for the closest cover, staying just barely ahead of the spray of bullets that followed him. As he slid behind the pile of trash, he recalled the advice that Jaune had given him on the way to confront the Bugster.

' _If Commander Revol is anything like he is in the game, then you better keep moving, if you stay behind cover for too long, he'll just destroy it with the cannon on his back._ '

With this in mind, Snipe looked over his cover and fired at Revol, the blast hitting the Bugster in the face making it wince in pain.

"Grrr, return fire!" It ordered to no one, bending over to fire its cannon again. Snipe quickly moved out of his cover, just barely avoiding the blast and sliding into new cover. He attempted to fire at it again, but the Revol Bugster just turned its cannon and fired again, forcing Snipe to start moving again.

* * *

Nora groaned in agony as her body began fade in and out of visibility, the equipment monitoring her vitals beeping urgently.

"What's happening!?" Pyrrha inquired with great concern as she and the others gathered around her.

"It's the Bugster," Poppy answered. "The infection flares up when it's in combat."

"But, that means Jaune and Ren are fighting it, that's a good sign, right?" Weiss stated.

"Not necessarily, the more the infection flares, the stronger the Bugster gets, and if it flares up too much…"

"She'll disappear." Yang finished for her.

"Hang in there Nora, it won't be much longer, I promise!" Ruby attempted to comfort the girl, but received no response as she continued struggling.

* * *

Snipe had to fall down flat on his back to avoid the machine gun fire, and then rolled on the ground to get behind the nearby cover.

"This is getting me nowhere, I can't safely keep my distance with that cannon on his back, I need to get in close. But how do I do that without getting blown to pieces?" He wondered out loud as the machine gun fire began to die down, he didn't have much time before another fire, so he had to think fast. He began to panic as he thought about how much pain Nora must be in, but he let his Aura flare and his Semblance calmed him down enough to think clearly. Just then, he caught sight of three barrel drums, two on the ground and one floating, recognizing them as the ones that appeared when the Game Area formed from his Gashat. That's when it hit him; memories of Ex-Aid and Ruby's fight with the Bancho Bugster reminding him how the containers made from the Game Area were used in combat.

"Alright, here goes nothing." Snipe said as he readied himself to run.

" _Ba Kyun!_ " His weapon announced as he switched it back to handgun mode and quickly fired at the three drums. Each one burst open, but only the floating one revealed an item, a dark violet medal that depicted an arrow shaped projectile bouncing off of a Rider's chest. The moment he heard the sound of the cannon going off, Snipe bolted towards the item, using the shockwave from the blast to propel him up into the air and grab it.

" _Reflect!_ " The Game Area announced as the item fazed into Snipe's arm. Violet energy pulsated from it as he came back down to the ground and rushed forward, the Revol Bugster chuckling at the open target. It aimed its machine guns and open fired, only for Snipe to release the energy in his arm to generate a transparent shield that reflected the blasts right back at it.

"What?!" Revol cried before he was hit with his own shots, causing him to stagger. This allowed Snipe to close the distance just as the shield dissipated, taking a swing at the Bugster only for it to duck under it. However, before the Bugster could recover, Snipe tossed the Gashacon Magnum high into the air, waved his arms around and landed a double palm strike to Revol's back, sending it flying into a pile of trash.

"Grrrrr, damn you, I will not be defeated by a whelp of a soldier!" Revol declared as it clumsily stood back up and aimed its cannon at Snipe. It fired, but Snipe simply leaped over the projectile, grabbing his falling Magnum and began firing at the exposed Bugster. The shots hit their marks, making it stagger some more and allowing Snipe to close the distance once again. The Revol Bugster attempted to fire its machine guns, but the master martial artist easily knocked the weapons away and got in its guard, pressing the Gashacon Magnum into its gut and pulling the trigger. The point blank shots caused devastating damage, if the HIT graphics being replaced by GREAT were any indication, the Bugster falling over and rolling on the ground in pain.

" _Gashun. Gashatto!_ " Snipe's Rider Gashat announced as he moved it from the Gamer Driver to the Kimewaza Slot Holder.

"It's over." He said simply before hitting the switch.

" _Kimewaza!_ " It announced as Snipe leaped up into the air, energy beginning to surround him. The Revol Bugster looked up at its opponent one last time before he hit the switch again.

" _Bang Bang Critical Strike!_ " The device cried as Snipe threw out a flying sidekick, the energy encasing him in the form of a spinning bullet. The Rider's attack collided with the Bugster, the creature writhing in pain before exploding as Snipe landed safely on the other side.

A moment passed…

And then another…

Nothing happened, no message of victory and the Game Area remained completely unchanged.

' _Oh, and one more thing,_ ' His leader's voice echoed in his head. ' _In the demo, after you beat him, Commander Revol attempts one last stealth attack, so don't let your guard down._ '

Snipe took a deep breath, closing his eyes just listening, switching the Gashacon Magnum to rifle mode. It was dead quiet, just the sound of the wind blowing his cape around. That is until he heard the faint sound of footsteps from the east.

" _Gashun. Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " The weapon announced as he slid the Gashat into the slot on the back. Energy began to flow from the Gashat to the barrel of the gun, Snipe aiming it at empty space just to the right of him.

"This is for hurting my friend." He said before he heard the ground rustle again, quickly changing his angle slightly before pulling the trigger.

" _Bang Bang Critical Finish!_ " The weapon cried before a large, powerful blast shot from gun, the recoil sending Snipe sliding back. The shot seemed to just fly out into the open, before it made contact with an invisible target, the loud groan of pain from Revol all the confirmation Snipe needed that he hit his target.

"H-How did you…" Revol said in disbelief before he screamed in agony, exploding once last time.

" _Kaishin no Ippatsu!_ " The Gashacon Magnum cried, punctuating the attack.

" _Game Clear!_ " The Game Area announced as the ring of game titles orbited Snipe, stopping on Bang Bang Shooting and slapping the GAME CLEAR graphic on it.

* * *

Ex-Aid ducked under a swing from the Black Ex-Aid's weapon, bringing up his own blade to block as it swung back around and then kicked his exposed gut to make him stagger back. He then tapped the B button twice and swung a bottom right to top left diagonal slash that unfortunately met with the chainsaw blade. However, the power of the slash allowed Ex-Aid to win the clash and get inside the Black Ex-Aid's guard, following up with a left to right horizontal slash across his abdomen. He then attempted a downward vertical slash, but the Black Ex-Aid deflected it with a roundhouse kick, leaving Ex-Aid open for two slashes across his chest and a spinning back kick that sent him tumbling to the ground.

As he struggled to his feet, the Black Ex-Aid switched to beam gun mode and fired at him, Ex-Aid regaining his composure just in time to deflect the shots. The Black Ex-Aid switched back to chainsaw mode and rushed at his opponent. Ex-Aid noticing a Chocolate Block floating just above him and at the last second he leaped over his doppelganger's swing and slashed the block open, absorbing the pale red medal that popped out.

" _Stretch!_ " The Game Area announced as Ex-Aid landed safely behind the other Rider. Before the Black Ex-Aid could react, Ex-Aid landed a sidekick to his opponent's chest and then extended his leg three meters long, sending him flying to the other side of the lot. Ex-Aid retracted his leg and switched the Gashacon Breaker to hammer mode, then extend his arm to whip the weapon at the downed Rider, however he managed to duck under it, but once he got back onto his feet, the whip like arm came swinging back and collided with his face, disorienting him. Ex-Aid then leaped up and spun in the air, swinging the arm around once again, but it was blocked by the blade of the Black Ex-Aid's weapon. When Ex-Aid landed back on the ground he swung one last time, the Black Ex-Aid narrowly dodging the attack, however the rubbery arm then wrapped around a nearby light post and the weapon came all the way back around to Ex-Aid. He caught his own wrist and hit the B button three times on his shoulder before letting go, sending the mallet flying right into the Black Ex-Aid's chest, two HIT and a single GREAT graphic popping from the point of impact before he rolled on the ground in pain.

Despite the damage, the Black Ex-Aid returned to his feet, the his heroic counterpart charging forward, weapon forward to block the lasers he was sure would be fired at him. However, the Black Ex-Aid just scoffed under his helmet and kicked a Chocolate Block lying to his left, a light blue medal depicting a transparent Rider in front of a city backdrop popping out.

" _Invisible!_ " The Game Area announced as the medal fused into him and he faded from existence just as Ex-Aid took a swing at him.

"Huh, where…?" Ex-Aid wondered as he looked around for his doppelganger. Suddenly, a sharp pain ran through his back as the chainsaw blade grinded against the left over Level 1 faceplate. He stumbled forward and turned to see nobody there.

"Of course I can't see him, he's invisible." He whispered agitatedly as he stayed on his guard. Not even a second later he was hit in the back with a barrage of lasers. "There you are!" Ex-Aid cried as he rushed towards where the lasers had come from, swinging his hammer wildly hoping to hit something. Yet somehow the next blasts came from the other side, nailing him in the back as he gasped in pain. With an annoyed grunt, Ex-Aid leaped over to the spit the laser's came from, he hit nothing in the air and nothing when he landed, only to be slashed in the back again and then have the chainsaw blade jabbed into him sending him staggering forward.

"Gah, that's it!" Ex-Aid declared as he tapped the B button three times and raised the Gashacon Breaker in preparation to slam it into the ground. However, this left him completely defenseless and just as he was about to bring it down, the chainsaw blade came grinding up Ex-Aid's abdomen and his chest, the force sending him flying as the Black Ex-Aid finally reappeared right where Ex-Aid was just standing. Ex-Aid regained his composure in the air however and attempted to recover by creating a Chocolate Block for him to land on, however the moment Ex-Aid steadied himself, the Black Ex-Aid switched to his beam gun and shot a laser right below him. The moment the block generated it was broken apart by the blast, leaving an unsuspecting Ex-Aid to fumble in the air leaving him open for the Black Ex-Aid to run up and kick him in the gut, sending him rolling on the ground in pain.

"Damn, the heck was that…" He complained to himself as he struggled to his knees. "This guy's crazy good, I haven't had such an intense battle since…" Ex-Aid paused as a memory surfaced from the depths of his subconscious. It was a gaming match, a tournament match, him playing as Mighty vs…

"Wait… haven't I… fought a black Mighty before?" Ex-Aid wondered to himself.

"Taking a breather, Ultra Player J?" The Black Ex-Aid mocked, regaining Ex-Aid's attention. "Here, maybe this'll wake you up."

" _Gashun._ " His Rider Gashat said as he removed it from the Gamer Driver. "Gashatto! Kimewaza!" It announced as he placed it into his Kimewaza Slot Holder and hit the switch. This certainly snapped Ex-Aid out of his daze as he watched the energy flow from the Gashat to the Black Ex-Aid's foot.

"Oh no you don't!" Ex-Aid rebuked as he stood back up and switched the Gashacon Breaker to blade mode.

" _Gashun._ " His Rider Gashat said as he removed it, and with a quick blow he placed it into the Gashacon Breaker. " _Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " The weapon announced as the blade began charging with energy. The two Kamen Riders stared each other down as their finishers charged, each one fully intending to finish it with this last hit. Once the energy reached its peak, the Black Ex-Aid hit the switch again.

" _Mighty Critical Strike!_ " It announced before he leaped up into the air and threw a flying sidekick towards his opponent.

" _Mighty Critical Finish!_ " Ex-Aid's weapon cried as he pulled its trigger, rooting his stance before he swung the blade, clashing with the Black Ex-Aid's kick. The two attacks struggled against each other, the energies mixing and pushing against each other, neither side giving in at all. Eventually, the attacks just canceled each other out in a large explosion, the recoil sending both Riders rolling onto the floor in both shock and agony. Both of their Rider Gauges began flashing and beeping, warning each one that only a small sliver remained.

"…It's not over yet." The Black Ex-Aid said as they both rose to their feet, just one more solid hit should decide the match. He aimed the beam gun at his heroic counterpart but before he could fire, the Game Area glitched and a familiar looking Rider appeared between them.

"Snipe!" Ex-Aid exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmph, guess the clock ran out on us." The Black Ex-Aid sneered as he lowered his weapon and relaxed his stance.

"The Bugster's been defeated, we're done here." Snipe said aiming his rifle at the doppelganger. The Black Ex-Aid chuckled lightly.

"Well, congrats on your first victory, _private_." He said as he teasingly gave the gun-toting Rider a salute, Snipe tensing a bit in annoyance, only serving to amuse the dark Rider. "Guess we'll call it a draw this time, Ultra Player J… heh, guess we're right back where we started on the scoreboard." He said before turning to leave.

"Huh, back were we… so you really are…!" Ex-Aid finally realizes, but paused as the Black Ex-Aid stopped.

"Oh yeah, one more thing." He said as he looked over his shoulder at them. "This weapon here, the Gashacon Bugvisor, the Bugsters have one just like it."

"They do?" Snipe said quizzically.

"Well, a prototype, but that hardly matters, it does what it needs to." The Black Ex-Aid replied.

"And what's that exactly?" Ex-Aid inquired.

"It's how their spreading the virus around." He explained, the two Riders gasping in shock.

" **What!?** "

"Yeah, so if you see a Bugster with this weapon, you might want to get it away from it. Hmph, if you can that is." He said mockingly before turning away from them. "Well, catch ya' both later, hopefully next time we'll get to settle the score." With that said, he glitched out of existence, having teleported out of the Game Area.

"Wait!" Ex-Aid pleaded, but he was too late. Ex-Aid's grip tightened in frustration, but he was quickly calmed by his companion's hand resting on his shoulder. Score or no score, they saved their friend, that's all that matters.

* * *

"76, 77, 78…" Nora counted her sit-ups as the door to her room opened.

"Well, looks like someone's feeling better." Blake said as she and the rest of Team RWBY entered.

"You bet you're bow I am!" Nora replied cheerfully as she leaped up onto her feet. "I feel better than new, like I can bench press ten of me… you know, instead of the usual five." She quipped in her usual chipper demeanor. "Oh yeah, thanks for helping track the sucker down Blake."

"My pleasure." Blake answered simply.

"So, is my leader around, gotta give him my thanks for saving my hide." Nora said, looking around the room as if she had just neglected to see him.

"Yeah, he's around." Ruby confirmed.

" _And_ so is the guy who saved your life." Yang added coyly, much to Nora's confusion.

"Ah, what do you…?"

"Just watch." Weiss said as she and the rest of Team RWBY moved to the side. Nora was confused until the door opened once again, he face lighting up as Snipe and Ex-Aid in their Level 1 Forms came walking in, carrying blue and pink balloons respectively.

"Congrats on getting all better~!" Poppy said as she and Pyrrha followed the chibi Riders close behind.

"Gaaaah, oh my gosh, the second Gamer Driver came!" Nora cried ecstatically, about ready to glomp the cute little warriors, when she noticed something. "But wait, I thought Pyrrha was gonna…" She trailed off as here eyes scanned the room for the only missing face. Once she couldn't find it, she put 2 and 2 together and looked at Snipe in awe. "Ren? Is that you in there?" She questioned, Snipe walking up to the girl and spoke.

"We promised, didn't we, that we'd always protect each other." He replied as he handed the balloons over to her. Nora's grin quickly returned and there was an extra sparkle in her eyes as she confirmed Snipe's identity.

"Oh. My. Gosh. YOU ARE SO CUTE!" She cooed loudly as she finally wrapped the Rider in her arms in a tight bear hug. "Oh, my stubby little soldier, going off to fight the big fight!" She continued, everyone chuckling at Snipe's attempt to stay on his feet as Nora practically crawled all over him like an uncharacteristically hyper koala.

"Should we help him?" Pyrrha asked her partner as she held back a laugh.

"Nah, if anyone can handle it, it's him." Ex-Aid replied a soft smile appearing on his face under the mask. "Besides, better him then me." He quipped lightheartedly, happy that his team was safe once again.

"SO CUTE!"

* * *

 **A/N: And that my friends was my attempt to give a believable reason as to why Ren would become Snipe. As I keep mentioning this story is a collaboration between brave kid and I, and when he first brought the idea to me he had already decided on who the five main riders would be, and honestly I saw no reason to change it, so I didn't, and this was just the only scenario I can think of to give Ren a proper reason to become Snipe. With that said, sorry if Nora seemed a bit OOC in this chapter, but I think I gave a fairly legitimate reason for her to be so stressed, so yeah. Anyway, hope you guys liked the chapter and are looking forward to the next one, see you guys later and remember to R &R.**


	5. A Cure for Jaundice!

**A/N: Hey** **guys, MCN here, and before we get started here, I'd just like to say how happy I am that you are all enjoying this fic so far, this is a really fun story to write for and I'm glad that all of the care brave kid and I are putting into it is satisfying you all. So, without further ado, let's get to the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Ex-Aid or RWBY**

* * *

 **A Cure for Jaundice!**

" **WHAT?!** " The entire room exclaimed in unison. With Nora fully recovered, Teams RWBY and JNPR reconvened in the CR lounge, Jaune wanting to relay to them what they had discovered.

"That's exactly how we reacted, but that's what he said." Ren assured.

"He… told you how the Bugsters are spreading the virus?" Pyrrha said in disbelief.

"Yep, crazy right?" Jaune replied simply.

"And you believe him?" Weiss added.

"Uh, well…" Jaune struggled for an answer.

"He's obviously an enemy, what reason do we have to believe anything he says?" Blake inquired.

"Actually, I think it might be true." Poppy said from within her game cabinet, gaining everyone's attention. "The Gashacon Bugvisors were devices used during the experiment that led to Zero Day; I guess if the Proto Gashats were the "games" then the Bugvisors were the "emulators", the devices running the software." She explained. "After Zero Day, all of the Bugvisors were put into storage, but of the ten prototypes that were made, only nine were ever accounted for."

"So, the Bugsters from Zero Day stole one?" Ruby deduced.

"Probably, and if the Bugsters really are systematically spreading the virus, using a Bugvisor would be the way to do it." Poppy confirmed.

"Wait, so he's _not_ helping the Bugsters?" Nora said quizzically.

"I doubt it, provided what he said was really true." Pyrrha replied.

"Grrrrrrrrr, WHAT'S WITH THIS GUY!? He fights us, then he helps us, then he fights us again, seriously, just whose side is he on!" Yang exploded, her eyes flashing red for a moment.

"I'm honestly more interested in his identity then his motives." Weiss stated. "If we knew who he was we could confront him ourselves and bring him to justice."

"…Well, I think I might be able to answer both of those questions." Jaune said, everyone giving him their full attention. "I don't know about an identity per say, but I've definitely met him before."

"Well, spill it Vomit Boy, who is he?" Yang urged the boy.

"Well, first off, any of you guys familiar with the game Mighty Bomb Squad?" Jaune inquired.

"You mean that Mighty Action spin off they released two years ago?" Ruby replied.

"Exactly, you played as Mighty and used "Cherry Bombs" to destroy obstacles and escape a maze." Jaune explained. "It was meant to compensate for the delayed release of Mighty Action X, so in order to promote it the Genm Corporation held a sponsored tournament the day before it's release. Now, not to toot my own horn, but I'm a pretty big deal on the competitive gaming scene, and I guess they figured having their "undefeated genius gamer" participate in the tournament would give the game some much needed press, so they invited me."

"Undefeated… genius gamer… wait, are you telling me that you're…!" Ruby exclaimed in realization.

"Uh, yeah, most people know me by my gamer tag… Ultra Player J." Jaune reluctantly admitted, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"…NO WAY, you're seriously Ultra Player J!" Ruby practically squealed as she shot up from her seat, Jaune just nodding his head in response.

"Is he really that big of a deal?" Blake asked.

"Are you kidding, Ultra Player J is a gaming celebrity, anyone who's ever even peeked into the world of competitive gaming knows who he is!" Ruby gushed, much to Jaune's embarrassment.

"Pardon me, but what does any of this have to do with the Black Ex-Aid?" Weiss interrupted impatiently.

"I'm getting to that." Jaune awkwardly defended, Ruby taking her seat as well. "So, I entered the tournament and managed to make it to the finals. The game didn't end up getting the traction they were hoping for, and that's a real shame since it was a really fun game, but… that's one tournament I will never forget."

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _"Ohh, and just like that Digiboy01 is out!" A man's voice announced from a stereo system all throughout a crowded venue. Up on the far wall was a large screen that showed a game being played between what were originally four players. Now with a green colored Mighty litterly blown off the screen, only two others remained, the portions of the screen that showed the defeated players going dark._

 _"Quite an upset for the locals Bob, for the hometown favorite to make it all the way to the free-for-all finals just to be eliminated without even completing the maze." A second voice said to the first._

 _"Well what do you expect Frank, that's what you get for trying to get the jump on the one and only Ultra Player J!" The first voice replied in an excited voice as the camera zoomed in on a 15-year-old Jaune Arc, his golden locks partially hidden underneath a Genm Corp. cap and his eyes glued to his personal screen with a big competitive smile on his face._

 _"I tell you Bob, it is so hard to believe that this is his first time playing this game today, the way he navigates through the mazes and utilizes his bombs makes it seem like he's an old pro!"_

 _"They don't call him a genius gamer for nothing Frank, he's completely smoked the competition in the 1-on-1 rounds, and it seems adding two more players into the mix hasn't deterred him one bit. I mean just look at that score!" Despite the praising of the MCs and the cheers of the audiences, Jaune remained completely focused on the match, enjoying every second of gameplay as he watched his classic pink Mighty avatar run all around the maze. He set down one last bomb next to a large bolder that blocked his path, and when it detonated and the dust cleared, the beautiful sight of the exit was revealed._

 _"And there it is ladies and gentlemen, the exit of the maze!" The first MC announced. "With Ultra Player J's score as high as it is, being the first to complete the maze will make it nearly impossible to catch up!"_

 _"In other words, all he has to do it is cross that goal post and he is guaranteed the win!" The second stated, the crowd going wild. Jaune narrowed his eyes as he made Mighty dash towards the decorated hole, dodging and defeating enemies on the way, just a few more steps and he would be…_

 _BOOM!_

 _"Huh!?" Jaune's eyes widened at the sight of the graphic that popped up right where his Mighty was standing, the little jawbreaker fumbling in the air before falling to the ground and fading away from existence, the Life Point counter on the top left corner of his screen dropping from 3 to 2._

 _"Unbelievable folks, looks like Ultra Player J has finally lost one of his lives!" The first MC exclaimed in shock._

 _"He'll have to start back at the closest checkpoint, giving his assailant ample time to get to the exit!" The second added with urgency._

 _The moment his avatar respawned, Jaune rushed back to exit, if he could just make it there in time he could still win this match. However, once he got back to the path that was a straight shoot to the exit, his path was barred by a black colored Mighty, spinning a Cherry Bomb on his finger before catching it in the same hand and repeating the taunt. Jaune turned his head to get a look at the last remaining player, a chill running down his spine once he saw the hooded figure with his swivel chair turned to face him, staring him down through his black tinted sunglasses. Jaune found himself in an uncomfortable staring contest before he was forced to turn his attention back to his monitor when he saw his opponent hit a new button on his controller, prompting his black Mighty to throw the Cherry Bomb in its hand at Jaune's Mighty. Jaune quickly darted Mighty into another pathway, narrowly evading the blast and saving his remaining lives._

 _"Looks like J is in quite the bind, isn't he Frank?" The first MC commented._

 _"You said it Bob, all his opponent has to do now is turn and run to the exit and he'll be home… what's this?" The second MC paused as he saw the black Mighty rush the opposite way, preparing another bomb. "Is he… going after Ultra Player J?"_

 _"Is it really any surprise Frank, after all we are dealing with the most ruthless, cold-blooded, and down right feared gamer to ever pick up a controller…"_

* * *

"…Player Killer M?" Ruby repeated in disbelief, and possibly even fear.

"Well that's subtle." Yang said sarcastically.

"It's accurate is what it is, he's infamous in the gaming community for treating any game he plays like his own personal hunting grounds, and he won't be satisfied unless he completely crushes his opponent." Jaune replied with a hint of dread in his voice. "That being said, he was _not_ happy when we ended up tying for first place."

"And you think he's the Black Ex-Aid?" Ren asked.

"He has to be, in all of my years of gaming Player Killer M was the only one that ever gave me such an intense challenge, hell if the clock hadn't run out on us I honestly don't know if I could've beaten him… back then or even now." Jaune replied with great unease.

"Well great, in that case let's just confront this "Player Killer M" in his civilian guise and make sure that he gets his just desserts." Weiss decided.

"OHH! Let's break his legs!" Nora proclaimed, a bright smile contrasting the violent suggestion.

"Uh, yeah, that's actually not gonna be possible." Jaune stated.

"Oh, and why's that?" Weiss demanded, crossing her arms indignantly.

"Well, nobody really knows who he is." Jaune explained. "Genm Corp. doesn't require players to give out their real names when entering a tournament, and every time he plays in public it's always with a hood over his head, shades on his face, and a voice scrambler to hide his real voice."

"So he's a total enigma?" Blake said.

"Heck, nobody's sure if he even is a _he_." Jaune admitted.

"Terrific." Weiss said sarcastically and exasperatedly as she crossed her arms in her seat.

"So what do we do about him?" Ruby wondered.

"We kick his butt the next time he shows his ugly mug, that's what!" Yang replied, slamming her fist into her palm.

"Not the most elegant solution, but it's the only one we've got." Ren lamented.

"And it definitely won't be easy." Jaune added with an uneasy look.

"Well, I'm certain you and Ren are up to the task, and the rest of us will help in anyway we can." Pyrrha assured, standing from her seat and placing a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"…Right, thanks guys." Jaune said with gratitude, his expression brightening.

"Well, I guess all there's left to do is wait." Ruby stated.

" _Or_ we can finally get started on that project Professor Oobleck gave us." Weiss rebuked, much to Ruby's dismay.

* * *

Despite the words of encouragement, Jaune was still rather concerned with the matter of the Black Ex-Aid, and when he worried, he played. The whole next day he threw caution to the wind and played on his Genm Play Pad whenever possible, which in this case was while he walked down the hallway during free period.

"Alright, Speed Up, just what I needed!" Jaune cheered as Mighty collected the yellow medal. Ordinarily Mighty's enhanced speed would make him more difficult to control, but Jaune masterfully guided the little jawbreaker through the obstacles and defeated all enemies in his path, the power up lasting just long enough to get Mighty to the goal.

"Oh yeah, bonus stage cleared!" Jaune cheered as he rounded a corner. His celebration was cut short when he absentmindedly walked into a wall and fell to the floor.

"Oww." He grunted.

"Hey, watch where you're going will ya!" An angered voice called from above him. Jaune had a flash of dejavu at the familiar phrase, as well as the tone the "wall" took. He hesitantly looked up to see a large, well built man towering over him, an annoyed glare piercing his very soul as he crossed his arms over his heavy looking breastplate. Of course, of all the people he could've run into, it had to be Cardin Winchester, leader of Team CRDL. The first week of classes had barely just ended and the boy had already earned himself the reputation of the typical school bully, Jaune had managed to stay under his radar but it looks like those days were over.

"Oh, uh, s-sorry there Cardin, I wasn't looking… where…" Jaune frantically apologized as he searched the floor for his Play Pad so he could flee.

"Hey, I know you." Dove Bronzewing, another member of CRDL spoke up. "You're Team JNPR's leader, uh… Jane something."

"Uh, well, actually it's Jaune, and uh…" Jaune corrected.

"Wait, you're telling me _this_ string bean is a team leader?" Cardin said in mocking disbelief.

"Well, I mean, "leader" is kind of a strong… accurate word…" Jaune awkwardly confirmed.

"Hey Cardin, get a load of this!" Cardin's partner, Russel Thrush said as he handed his leader Jaune's dropped Play Pad.

"Hey, that's my…" Jaune began, but was cut off by Cardin's hysterical laughter.

"The hell is this, you still play video games?!" Cardin mocked, the rest of CRDL joining in on the laughter.

"Uh… Is that a problem?" Jaune replied nervously.

"No, of course not, if you're in grade school!" Cardin taunted, gaining another round of laughter from his team.

"Is that goal post a donut!?" Russel pointed at the screen.

"Look, he's playing as a piece of candy with eyes!" Dove added.

"Not to mention that slick hairdo!" Sky Lark, the fourth member of the team said.

"Man, what a baby game!" Cardin rounded off the insults. Jaune's face went beet red at the insults, the boy pulling at his hair in embarrassment. This kind of taunting wasn't new to him, he had met his fair share of bullies in his life, and he's learned to just bare with it.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it ok, now can you please give it back." Jaune pleaded meekly.

"Ha ha ha, fine, fine, here." Cardin complied, dropping the device in Jaune's hands. "Now run along, Jauney Boy." He said with one last hardy laugh with his team. Jaune didn't think twice to continue on his way, thankful that the confrontation ended rather peacefully.

"Man, can you believe _that guy_ is a team leader?" Russel said as Jaune was still in earshot.

"Seems like a perfect fit to me, better him then that spaz they've got on their team." Cardin replied, stopping Jaune from playing as he listened.

"Yeah, did you get a load of her yesterday with that outfit, talk about crazy." Dove concurred, the four sharing a laugh. Jaune suddenly felt his blood boiling, as they insulted her, all he could think about was Nora crying in the CR as Ren tried to comfort her.

"Take that back!" Jaune demanded, Team CRDL returning their attention to him. "Nora is _not_ crazy!"

"Oh yeah," Cardin replied as he and his team strutted towards him, immediately taking the wind out of Jaune's sails. "Says who?"

"Uh, says… says _me_ , that's who!" Jaune asserted, puffing out his chest in an effort to look confident and intimidating.

"Oh right, you, the twerp leader who still plays baby games." Cardin taunted as he snatched Jaune's Play Pad out of his hand and pushed him to the ground.

"Hey, give it back!" Jaune said as he stood back up and reached for the game, only for Cardin to toss it to Russel, who now stood behind the blonde.

"Aww, Jauney wants his game back?" Russel teased as he tossed it to Dove.

"Bet you still spend your milk money at arcades." Dove said a he tossed the game to Sky; just high enough that Jaune couldn't reach it.

"Man, what a los…" Sky began before the screen caught his attention.

"I said, give it back!" Jaune said as he snatched the Play Pad back from Sky.

"Aww, nice going, Sky." Russel whined, lamenting that the game of monkey in the middle was over.

"…Hey, is that really your Play Pad?" Sky asked Jaune.

"Uh, yeah, wouldn't it be?" Jaune replied quizzically.

"You didn't, I don't know, borrow it from somebody or…?" Sky questioned further.

"Huh, of course not." Jaune assured.

"The hell are you blabbing about Sky?" Cardin said, but was seemingly ignored.

"So, that's _your_ gamer tag at the top of the leader board?" Sky asked, much more frantically, much to Jaune's confusion.

"Uh, y-yes?" Jaune hesitantly replied.

"…Oh. My. God. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD!" Sky exclaimed with an ecstatic expression on his face. "You're Ultra Player J!"

"You've… heard of me?" Jaune replied in surprise.

" **You've heard of him?!** " The rest of CRDL repeated in shock.

"Are you kidding me, dude you're a legend, there are entire internet forums dedicated to watching the tournaments you enter, even your online matches constantly make the trending page. Oh man, I can't believe I'm meeting _the_ Ultra Player J!" Jaune was flabbergasted, to think that the boy that was just mocking him was now gushing like a fan boy; it kind of made him uncomfortable.

"Uh, well, thanks man, I appreciaGACK!" Jaune choked as Cardin suddenly put him into a headlock.

"Wait, wait, hold on just a second." Cardin said as he approached his teammate. "Are you telling me that this dweeb here is famous or something… and that you're a _fan_ of his?" The tall boy asked Sky incriminatingly, his two other teammates staring him down from either side of their leader.

"Uh… I-I wouldn't say that I'm a "fan" per say, I just… know who he is, that's all." Sky defended nervously.

"Enough to call him a legend?" Russel stated.

"And to know he's got forums dedicated to him?" Dove added.

"Sounds like a fan to me." Cardin said in a dark tone as he tightened his grip on Jaune's head a bit.

"Uh…" Sky looked between his intimidating leader and the poor gamer struggling to breath in his grasp, searching for a way out of this dilemma. "N-no, you guys got it all wrong. I just keep up with that stuff to… get a good laugh out of it, yeah, that's it." He claimed, much to his team's confusion. "I mean, you gotta see how seriously these geeks take these stupid games, it's hilarious, ha, ha!" He punctuated his argument with a nervous laugh, waiting anxiously to see if his team believed him. Eventually, Cardin let out a hardy laugh, followed by Dove and Russel.

"You're right, that does sound hilarious!" Cardin agreed, much to Sky's relief. As Cardin laughed, his hold on Jaune tightened once more, the boy struggling for air before he was finally let go to fall face first on the floor. "Well, anyway, have fun being king of the geeks, Jauney Boy." Cardin said as he walked away.

"Later Ultra _Loser_." Russel said as he followed his leader.

"Ultra _Lame-o_." Dove added as he did the same.

Jaune grunted as he caught his breath, sitting up to look at a hesitant looking Sky. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he could barely meet the blonde's gaze and so just followed his team down the hallway. Jaune let out a sigh, he couldn't exactly blame Sky for what he did after all it's easier to just join in on the torture then to risk being put on the other meet hook. Still, it was weird to think that one of the school bullies turned out to be a gamer as well as a fan of his; Jaune took whatever solace he could in that before he continued playing, just thankful that his Play Pad survived the ordeal unscaved.

* * *

Unfortunately, the matter didn't end there, from that point forward Jaune had a target painted on back, and Cardin was taking a shot at it whenever he could. Whether it was knocking his books out of his hands in the hallway or activating his shield in the doorway so he would get stuck, Cardin mercilessly tortured Jaune for all of the following week. Cardin also made sure to have his teammates join in on the fun every now and again, and all throughout it Sky would go along with whatever Cardin said, only sparing Jaune a guilty look afterwards. Of course his friends had confronted him on the matter, and offered their help, but Jaune didn't want to bother them with his problems, between the Bugsters and schoolwork, they all had enough to deal with without Jaune pleading for protection. Besides, Jaune was no stranger to bullying, so he could surely just bare with it, no need to get anyone else involved.

At the moment however, Teams RWBY and JNPR followed the crowd of students as they all made their way to the training hall, it was time again for another one of Professor Goodwitch's brutal combat lessons, and today was a full sparring day.

"So Ice Queen, any luck?" Yang asked her sister's partner, who strutted next to her with an annoyed look on her face.

"Absolutely none, there really is no record of this "Player Killer M's" identity, and any leads I do get just lead to dead ends!" Weiss fumed.

"I told you so." Ruby said, just fanning the fire.

"Honestly, why would someone who's only claim to fame is playing video games possibly need this much secrecy!?" Jaune had to agree with that, sure some gamers would typically ware a hat or a hood to mask their identity during public tournaments, but none went to the same lengths as Player Killer M did.

"The reason doesn't matter." Blake stated. "The fact is there's no way to figure out who he is, which means he could be anybody… even somebody in this room." She said ominously as they entered the training hall, filled to the brim with their fellow students.

"Well that's a comforting thought." Jaune said sarcastically, but with no small amount of concern.

"Better keep a look out for anyone that looks like an evil version of Jaune." Nora suggested, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"I doubt it'll be that simple Nora." Ren rebuked dryly.

"Regardless, we can't let our guard down. Friend or foe, he is dangerous, we mustn't let him get the jump on us." Pyrrha said, the rest of the group all nodding in agreement.

"Alright, settle down now students." Goodwitch instructed, prompting the students to take their seats and give the professor their full attention. "Now, as you all may recall, today we will be focusing exclusively on sparring. While it is true that your primary responsibility as Huntsmen and Huntresses is the elimination of the Creatures of Grimm, it will not be uncommon for you to be called upon to deal with more… human threats. As such, it is imperative that you sharpen your fighting skills against your fellow human beings." The professor lectured. "Now, as for the match ups, I have fully evaluated all of your strengths and weaknesses from previous training sessions and have paired you all with who I believe is both at an appropriate skill level and will give you an ample amount of challenge."

Jaune couldn't help but wonder who he could have possibly been matched up with; after all he hadn't even attended combat school, who could possibly be unskilled enough to be a proper match for him.

"Now, with the formalities out of the way, let's begin with our first match." Goodwitch said as she began fiddling with her scroll. "Would Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc please step into the ring?" Jaune's face went white as a sheet and stiff as a board upon hearing his name being called. He watched with horror as Cardin stood from the crowd and strutted up to the ring, flashing him an evil smirk as he hefted his mace over his shoulder. "Mr. Arc, please step forward." Goodwitch repeated, looking straight at the blonde in question.

"Jaune." Pyrrha whispered with a slight shake of his shoulder, bringing Jaune out of his terrified daze. Jaune nervously shot up from his seat and made his way into the arena, avoiding eye contact with his opponent at all costs.

"Now, both of you take out your scrolls." Glynda instructed, the two complying with the request. "Remember, your scroll is an indispensible tool for a Huntsmen in training, it can help one keep track of the Aura reserves of oneself and their teammates. It would be wise to refer to it during any battle." She explained. Jaune opened the flashing icon on his home screen which took him to an app that did in fact display the aura of himself and his teammates, represented by green bar gauges under their photos.

' _Huh, kind of looks like a game hub, ha ha._ ' Jaune thought to himself with amusement. He then noticed that the large holographic screen above them also displayed their Aura levels for all to see. ' _Wow, now it's really like a fighting game._ '

"Now, are both combatants ready?" Goodwitch asked. Cardin lowered into a fighting stance as his response, Jaune let out a loud cliché gulp as he drew Crocea Mors and folded out its sheath into a shield adorned with the twin crests of the Arc family. The weight of the sword in his hand was incredibly unnerving, come to think of it, he had never actually drawn the sword in battle before, this would be his first time truly fighting as an aspiring Huntsmen.

"You can do it Jaune!" Ruby cheered from her seat.

"Yeah, break his legs!" Nora added enthusiastically.

"Just do the very best you can Jaune!" Pyrrha said supportively.

"Thrash him Cardin!" Russel cried.

"Put that dweeb in his place!" Dove added.

"Y-yeah, make him _wish_ he had an extra life!" Sky cheered awkwardly.

"You may now begin." Goodwitch said as she stepped back, allowing both combatants room to fight.

Cardin wasted no time as he raised his mace into the air, the jewel at the end glowing, and slammed it down onto the arena floor, a shock wave of fire erupting towards Jaune. The blonde's eyes widened in shock, frozen in fear for a moment before he leaped out of the way just in time, sprawling himself on the ground. Jaune struggled to his feet, his daze subsiding just in time to narrowly evade a swing from Cardin's mace, the head crashing into the floor and the resulting shockwave once again made Jaune tumble to the ground. He got up quickly this time, brining his shield forth as Cardin swung at him, the force of the impact sending Jaune flying across the stage and sliding on the cold hard ground. Cardin let out an amused chuckle as Jaune staggered to his feet, his pumping adrenaline pushing him forward. With a resounding cry, Jaune rushed in and went for a slash to his chest, Cardin simply sticking out his foot for Jaune to ram his own exposed torso into, knocking the wind out of him. In his daze, Jaune was defenseless as Cardin socked him in the face and landed a hard swing with his mace, the resulting fiery blast sending Jaune right to the edge of the ring, wallowing in pain.

"Ouch." Yang winced at the sight of the painful looking attack.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried in concern. The young blonde tried his very hardest to stand back up, using his sword as a crutch as he hefted himself back up to his feet.

"Ha ha ha, what's the matter Jauney Boy, is the King of the Geeks giving up already?" Cardin taunted, gaining mocking laughs from his teammates. Jaune couldn't meet his gaze; head slumped in defeat as he still used his sword to support him.

"Come on Jaune, don't give up, get your head in the game!" Ruby encouraged from the sidelines.

"…Get my… head in the game?" Jaune parroted, realization dawning on him.

Whether the phrasing was intentional or not, Ruby was absolutely right, Jaune wasn't a real Huntsmen, he never went to combat school, never learned how to fight properly, against a Creature of Grimm or otherwise. However, that didn't mean he didn't know how to analyze a situation and take steps to assure victory, it just so happened that it was always with a controller in his hand rather than a sword and shield. Bottom line, if he was going to have any chance of winning, he had to stop thinking like a bumbling huntsmen, and start thinking like the genius gamer he was. He stood back up straight, taking a deep, calming breath before falling into a fighting stance, shield forward and sword arm drawn back.

' _Right, I've been in this situation before, I'm just an under leveled sword and shield fighter up against a heavy hitting tank._ ' Jaune thought as he narrowed his gaze on his opponent. ' _He's got size and reach on me, but I'm definitely more agile then him. Just wait for the telegraph, get in and chip away at his health, er, Aura, and get back out._ '

Few people cared to notice the change in Jaune's expression, and Sky Lark was one of those few. It was a sharp, focused look that he had seen on the boy's face before, during footage of his tournament matches whenever he was in the middle of making a game plan, no pun intended. Cardin surely didn't notice this, and continued flashing his cocky smirk as he rotated the mace in his hand, the gem once again glowing as he raised it above his head.

' _Bingo!_ ' Jaune thought as a smirk found its way to his face. Before the mace even hit the ground, Jaune had already stepped to side and began dashing forward; the shockwave of flame flying right passed him. Cardin was rather shocked, but noticed Jaune prep his sword arm for a downward swing, brining up his weapon for what he thought would be an effortless block. However, rather then bring the sword down, Jaune instead rammed his shield into the brute's exposed torso, Cardin leaning forward as Jaune landed a slash across his face, making the boy grasp at it in pain and allowing Jaune to land a horizontal slash on his torso. Jaune then took a few steps back to create some distance in preparation for Cardin's retaliation.

"Yeah, go Jaune!" Ruby cheered gleefully.

"That's it, in and out!" Ren encouraged his apparent strategy.

The cheering did wonders for Jaune's confidence, but it sure did a number on Cardin's annoyance. The boy shot Jaune an angry glare, stirring Jaune's confidence enough for him to close the distance between them and let out an upward swing of his mace, the force knocking Jaune' shield to the side and making the gamer stumble. Cardin capitalized on this and kicked Jaune in the gut, but rather then fall helplessly onto the floor, Jaune went with the fall and rolled on his back, quickly getting back on his feet. If there was one thing he learned all those years of falling to get into combat school, it was how to take a fall.

"The hell are you doing Cardin!" Russel cried incredulously.

"Tear him to pieces already!" Dove added. This time however, Sky remained silent, eyes wide as he was completely engrossed in the fight, or more accurately, Jaune's performance.

"Shut up!" Cardin demanded as he rushed forward to take another swing at Jaune. The blonde gamer calmly side stepped, Cardin's mace sliding off his shield and hitting the floor, allowing Jaune to land another slash across his face and jab his blade into his chest, making him stagger back.

This gained a few more cheers from Jaune's peanut gallery, as well as a few jeers from Cardin's teammates, much to the armored teen's annoyance. Once again Jaune took a few steps back, shield forward ready for Cardin's retaliation, the Huntsman in question throwing another wave of fire at him which Jaune easily dodged. This time however, Cardin rushed forward just as Jaune did, hoping to catch him off guard or win whatever clash was to come. As they drew closer, Cardin raised his mace above his head, certain that he could break through his scrawnier opponent's defense, however once he brought the weapon down Jaune did indeed raise his shield to block, but rather then simply fight against the blow he stepped into Cardin's guard and nailed him in the gut with a spinning elbow strike, his shield keeping Cardin's weapon at bay. The pressure from the strike winded the brute, causing him to stagger back enough for Jaune to push his weapon away, leaving him completely exposed. Before Cardin had a chance to recuperate, Jaune leaped into the air, bringing his sword arm back around for a powerful jump spinning slash. The attack connected, knocking Cardin off his feet, however Jaune failed to land properly, falling to the floor as well. Regardless, his seven comrades all cheered at the display as both combatants struggled to their feet.

"Way to go, Jaune!" Ruby cried.

"That's. Our. Leader!" Nora gloated loudly.

"Yeah, awesome!" The third cheer came as a surprise to all, as it came from none other then Sky Lark, who stood excitedly from is seat. "Oh man, I can't believe I actually saw the Noble Knight reversal in real life, as expected of Ultra Player J!" He gushed, completely unaware of the awkward stares he was getting. That is, until the sound of Cardin plunging his mace into the floor to help him up resounded throughout the entire room, Sky jumping as he nervously met Cardin's hateful glare.

"Uh, I mean… you suck, dweeb?" Sky offered weakly before he was silence by Russel pulling him back into his seat.

Cardin growled as he stood back up straight, his glare switching from his teammate to his opponent, the hatred increasing tenfold. With a loud, angry roar, Cardin swung his mace at Jaune, the resulting explosion knocking Jaune's shield out of his hand and sent it flying out of the ring. His defense broken, Jaune made a desperate downward swing to Cardin's head, the brute effortlessly blocking it and kneeing Jaune in the gut to force him to back off. Immediately, Cardin swung his mace at the now defenseless Jaune, the imbedded jewel turning the swing into an explosion, sending Jaune flying across the stage. Cardin marched up to Jaune's nearly unconscious form and raised his mace in preparation for another swing, however as he attempted to bring the weapon down, he found that he couldn't, some invisible force preventing him.

"That's quite enough, Mr. Winchester." Goodwitch said sternly, her riding crop raised showing it was she who held Cardin's weapon captive. He turned his glare at the Huntress, but a quick glare of her own made the student stand down, allowing Goodwitch to the release her semblance, freeing Cardin's weapon. "Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura has now dropped into the red, in a tournament style duel, this would indicate that he is no longer fit for battle, and that the official may call the match." She lectured, though very few students listened, the thick, murderous tension still hanging in the air. It only got worse when Cardin looked up at the big screen, his glare narrowing and his fists tightening as he saw that Jaune had actually managed to bring his Aura down about half way, just into the yellow.

"Mr. Arc, as expected you showed great strategic cunning, but your… coordination still leaves a lot to be desired. I suggest you work on that." Goodwitch advised as Jaune sat up, nodding his confirmation. "And as for you Mr. Winche…"

"SKY!" Cardin shouted, throwing his mace to the side as he stomped out of the ring. The students at the edge of the walkway all made way as Cardin approached his team, focused specifically on the blue haired traitor. "Please tell me I didn't hear what I _thought_ I just heard!" He demanded.

"Uh, w-what do you mean Cardin?" Sky desperately denied, only for Cardin to grab the boy by the caller and lift him out of his seat.

" _Tell me_ , that I didn't just hear you _cheer_ for that loser!" Cardin barked in his face.

"Mr. Winchester, cease this behavior at once!" Goodwitch demanded, but it fell on deaf ears.

"What, are you the King of the Geeks' loyal subject now!?" Cardin asked violently, shaking Sky as he stuttered for an answer. "Is kissing his royal hinny more important than supporting your damn leader, well, IS IT!"

"I… I-I…" Sky desperately attempted to form words, some eloquent excuse that would get him out of this mess, but it all just came out as a nervous stutter. Suddenly, Sky felt a sharp pain shoot through his head, turning his stuttering into moans of discomfort that slowly devolved into screams of pain.

"Sky?" Dove said with concern.

"Cardin put him down!" Russel insisted, the leader complying. Sky failed to catch himself, the pain too great as he hit the floor and just clutched his head in agony.

"Mr. Lark, what's the matter?" Professor Goodwitch said as she rushed down and kneeled next to the boy.

"…My head… oh god, my head hurts!" Sky struggled to answer, his body curling as the pain continued.

"Out of the way, move aside, official nursing business!" Nora demanded as she pushed through the crowd of students, already equipped with the Game Scope. She kneeled down next to Sky and hit the button on the device, summoning the holographic screen that showed a small block shaped icon floating around the boy's head. Nora and Glynda simply shared a worried glance, leaving the other students in the dark.

"Hey, what's going on, what does that mean?" Cardin demanded, one of the few students able to fully see the screen before it disappeared.

"Mr. Lark needs to be taken to the infirmary immediately." The professor stated, much to the rest of CRDL's shock and concern. "Mr. Arc, Mr. Ren, see to it that he gets there safely." She instructed, the two nodding in agreement as they stepped forward to help Sky to his feet.

"What, why them, we're his team!" Cardin protested, standing between Jaune and Ren and the ailing Sky.

"Mr. Winchester this is a very sensitive situation…"

"Stowe it! I'm not putting my teammate in the hands of the reject team!" Cardin asserted, Dove and Russel already lifting Sky to his feet.

"The leader of that "reject team" nearly kicked your butt!" Yang protested from the side.

"He got a few lucky shots in cause I wasn't taking him seriously, _that's it!_ " Cardin rebuked, though the irritation was clear to everyone. "We're taking him, and that's final!" He demanded, turning to leave before anyone can protest, his teammates following closely behind.

"Jerk!" Ruby cried with a narrow glare.

"Professor, what do we do?" Jaune inquired.

"You two go follow him, and make sure Mr. Lark received _proper_ treatment, understood." Goodwitch instructed.

"Right!" Jaune responded, exchanging a knowing nod with Ren before they ran after Team CRDL.

"Alright, settle down students, we're still in the middle of class!" Goodwitch attempted to calm the students down, already working with her scroll to pair up the next match.

Jaune and Ren followed Team CRDL out of the training hall, the group moving towards the nearby infirmary building.

"Cardin wait!" Jaune pleaded as he and Ren rushed towards them.

"What do you want loser?" Cardin said with a roll of his eyes, not at all stopping.

"Listen, your friend is very sick!" Ren stated as both boys stood between them and the infirmary.

"Yeah, we noticed." Russel replied sarcastically.

"No, seriously, Sky is in serious trouble and everybody around him is in danger!" Jaune asserted.

"Then get out of my face and let me take him to the infirmary!" Cardin ordered as he pushed the two shorter boys to the side. Jaune nearly fell down from the force of it, but as he steadied himself he grabbed Cardin's arm, stopping him with a serious look on his face.

"Cardin, please listen, Sky is seriously sick and we're the only ones who can help him!"

" _You_ , ha ha, are you kidding me!?" Cardin replied to his plea with amusement. "You're just some gamer geek who's in way over his head, and the fact that your friend there lost out to you in becoming leader makes him even _more_ pathetic than you, what can two rejects like you possibly do?" Jaune tightened his fists and narrowed his glare at Cardin's taunting; there was no time for this, if they didn't hurry…

Suddenly, Sky's cries of pain ceased, his eyes flashing red as he forced himself out of Russel and Dove's grip.

"…Tall building… must 'SPLODE!" He said in a voice that wasn't his own before he was engulfed by the black blisters of the Bugster Union. Team CRDL backed away in horror as the blob took the form of a giant, dead tree, branches devoid of any leaves and roots acting as tendril like feet. A splintered Grimm mask lay at the center of the trunk, the red eyes gazing at Beacon Tower in the distance.

"The hell is… WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" Cardin exclaimed in shock and confusion as he looked up at the towering monster that was making its way to the tower.

"A… C-Creature of Grimm?" Russel suggested, shacking in fear.

"The virus has broken out!" Ren stated, though not particularly to answer their questions.

"Virus?" Dove said quizzically.

"Get somewhere safe, we'll take care of this!" Jaune said as he and Ren stepped forward. Before Cardin could angrily protest, the two boys strapped on their Gamer Drivers, Jaune spinning his Rider Gashat on his finger while Ren "aimed" his at the Bugster Union.

" _Mighty Action X!_ "

" _Bang Bang Shooting!_ "

The Game Area spread throughout the courtyard as the Gashats were activated, much to the awe of Team CRDL.

" **Henshin!** " Both boys exclaimed as they placed the Gashats into their respective Drivers.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Drivers sang as Jaune and Ren chose their avatars and transformed into their level 1 forms.

"…WHAT THE…!" Cardin exclaimed, cut off by Ren hitting the switch on his Kimewaza Slot Holder.

" _Stage Select!_ " The Driver announced before an image of an open clearing in the Emerald Forest covered the area, transporting all present into said location.

"The Emerald Forest? Ok, this just keeps getting weirder." Russel stated.

"You ready Jaune?" Snipe asked as he summed the Gashacon Magnum.

"Yeah, we'll change Sky's fate with our own hands!" Ex-Aid declared before the two charged forward, engaging the Bugster Union.

With the tall buildings no longer in sight, the Union turned its attention to the Riders, planting its roots into the ground as they grew and popped up right between them, the heroes narrowly avoiding the strike as they separated. The two separated into their individual roles, Ex-Aid went in close and kept the Bugster Union's attention, leaping around it to avoid its tendril like root, while Snipe kept his distance, firing at the appendages whenever they seemed to be closing in on Ex-Aid.

"This is… unreal." Dove said incredulously as he and his teammates watched the battle.

"You're seeing this to, right Cardin…Cardin?" Russel asked, but the leader didn't even acknowledge the question. He simply kept watching the battle, eyes narrowing and his hands balling into fists.

"Change Sky's fate… with _your_ hands?" Cardin fumed, grinding his teeth in anger.

The Bugster Union continued to chase after Ex-Aid, the Rider leaping from block to block of his own making, over and around the giant creature until the tendrils that pursued him now wrapped around the Union's own body, tangled and unable to move.

"Snipe, now!" Ex-Aid cried as he landed away from the creature.

"I'm on it!" Snipe replied, springing into action. He jumped into the air as bright yellow surrounded him, encasing him into a bullet shaped projectile that spun on its axis and rammed into the Bugster Union, instantly killing it. Ex-Aid quickly grabbed a transparent Sky out of the air and placed him safely against a tree while Snipe unceremoniously fell to the ground, a good chunk of his Rider Gauge depleted. "Ugh, quite the double edge sword, isn't it?" He lamented as he stood back up. The black remains of the Bugster Union began to coalesce as the Riders were used to seeing, forming the strange shape of what seemed to be a humanoid flower, its body covered in moss while the head had six black petals protruding from a bone masked face.

"Is that… a flower?" Russel said quizzically.

"It's the 'Splode Flower!" Ex-Aid stated.

"Explode Flower?" Dove parroted.

"No, not Explode, "Splode!"" Ex-Aid corrected, receiving confused looks in return. "It's an enemy from…"

"Block… Miner…" Sky finished for Ex-Aid returning to consciousness.

"Sky!" Dove exclaimed as he and Russel rushed over to where he lay.

"That's the… 'Splode Flower… from Block Miner, right?" Sky struggled to say.

"Block Miner?" Russel questioned.

"Yeah, that's right." Ex-Aid confirmed. "Block Miner is a sandbox game where you mine resources to build whatever you want in a pixel graphic world."

"Wait, are you saying that… _thing_ is from one of your dorky games, you can't be serious!" Cardin interjected in complete disbelief.

"We're being _very_ serious, Cardin." Snipe rebuked. "That creature is known as a Bugster, a computer virus created from the Creatures of Grimm." He explained, referring to the 'Splode Bugster as it wondered around the area aimlessly, looking for something.

"They infect humans to assimilate their cells so that they can become complete beings." Ex-Aid added.

"Assimilate?" Cardin said with confusion.

"Yeah, even just standing around like that its absorbing Sky's body, if we don't destroy it Sky will be completely assimilated… and disappear."

"D…disappear?" Sky said with absolute horror.

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen." Ex-Aid assured.

"Just rest easy for now, stressing out will only make it worse." Snipe advised. "We'll have you cured in no time." With that said, Snipe and Ex-Aid returned their attention to the wondering Bugster.

"Dai-Henshin!"

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Mighty Jump, Mighty Kick, Mighty, Mighty Action X!"_

"Second Tactics!"

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Ba-Ba-Bang! Bang Ba-Bang! Yow! Bang Bang Shooting!_ "

Both Drivers sang as Ex-Aid and Snipe dramatically transformed into their Level 2 Forms, Sky looking on in awe despite his increasing weakness.

"Alright Snipe, let's clear the next level!" Ex-Aid said, spinning the summoned Gashacon Breaker in his hand confidently.

"Right!" Snipe responded, readying his Gashacon Magnum. However, just as they were about to rush into battle, Cardin shoved his way passed the two Riders with a loud battle cry, his Mace at the ready as he approached the distracted Bugster.

"Huh, Cardin?" Ex-Aid said in shock as he watched the Huntsmen swing his weapon at the Bugster, only for it to bounce off its back with a taunting MISS graphic. Cardin stumbled as the vibrations from the hit traveled down his weapon to his hands, however he ignored the pain and swung again, and again, achieving only the same result. "Cardin stop!"

"You can't hurt it like that!" Snipe stated as the two Riders attempted to approach. However, it was at this moment that the Bugster finally noticed that it was being hit, turned around to receive a harmless mace-full to the face. Its red eyes seemed to sparkle at the sight of the finely crafted weapon, even as it was pulled up over it for another swing.

"Pretty weapon… must 'SPLODE!" The 'Splode Bugster exclaimed. The Game Area then glitched out, a wave of orange energy pulsating throughout the space, pixelating the surroundings.

"What the hell?" Cardin said as he examined his new surroundings.

"This is… the 'Splode Bugster's Game Area!" Ex-Aid realized, recalling how the Bancho Bugster had manipulated the Game Area as well. This time around, the normal pixelization that came with summoning a Game Area refused to dissipate, leaving the world around them as a low resolution, blocky forest.

"Whoa, trippy." Russel said, poking a block that was meant to be a patch of grass.

"'SPLODE!" The Bugster cried as it made to grab Cardin's weapon, the boy stepping to the side to avoid it before swinging at it twice to no effect.

"Russel, Dove, the hell are you just standing there for!?" Cardin called to his dumbfounded teammates, snapping them to attention.

"Oh, uh, right!" Russel responded, brandishing his dual dust daggers just as Dove unsheathed his dust sword, the two leaving Sky's side to join the fight.

"H-hey, hold on a second!" Ex-Aid pleaded as he stopped Russel's approach.

"You three can't fight that thing!" Snipe insisted, holding Dove back.

"Shiny… metal… crafted… 'SPLODE!" The Bugster shouted, summoning a troupe of Bugster Soldiers, their body suits covered in the same moss as their master. The foot soldiers rushed over to the four Huntsmen, going straight for the weapons they carried.

"Huh, h-hey, cut it out!" Russel demanded as he struggled to keep his weapon.

"What are they doing?" Snipe asked as he shot a Bugster Soldier that refused to unhand his blaster.

"The 'Splode Flower is meant to destroy anything that's player made!" Ex-Aid began, kicking away a Bugster and bashed it with his mallet. "It can even send out little minions to disarm you so it can destroy your weapons!" He explained as he finally managed to begin fighting back, dispatching the Bugsters that were going after Dove and Russel.

"Russel, Dove, get up here!" Cardin demanded as he struggled to hold on to his weapon.

"You got it Cardin!" Dove called back as he and Russel left Ex-Aid and Snipe to deal with the Bugster Soldiers.

"Hey, wait…" Ex-Aid said, but was intercepted by the minions.

Cardin let out a loud grunt as he attempted to kick the Bugster in the gut to force him to let go of his weapon, only to moan in pain as the hit did nothing, like kicking a brick wall. The 'Splode Bugster seemed to copy the idea, knocking the wind out of Cardin and forcing the mace out of his hands.

"'Splode~." The Bugster cooed as it marveled at the weapon. It then picked one of the petals from its face and stuck it onto the mace, another petal immediately growing back as the one on the weapon began to flash red.

"Hand it over you freak!" Cardin demanded as he quickly snatched the weapon back from it, making another futile swing to its face. Across the battlefield, Ex-Aid noticed the flashing petal attached to the mace, his eyes widening as it began flashing more frantically.

"Cardin, your mace!" He warned, stopping Cardin mid-swing. The Huntsmen thus noticed the flashing object, staring at it in confusion before the petal finally detonated, obliterating the weapon and sending Cardin flying back.

"Cardin!" Russel exclaimed as he witnessed his partner fall to the ground a few feet away. The Huntsmen then glared angrily at the flower-like creature before charging forwards, slashing at it with his daggers and only receiving MISS graphics in return.

"'Splode." The Bugster said simply as it picked two petals from its head and attempted to stick them to the daggers, Russel retreating back as a result.

"'Splode!" The Bugster repeated as he threw the petals at Russel, the Huntsmen instinctively blocking them with his weapons only to realize that they were now marked for destruction. Regrettably, he tossed the weapons aside, the petals detonating a moment later, destroying them. The 'Splode Bugster began to advance on Russel when suddenly a barrage of dust bullets harmlessly bounced off of its body, the monster turning to see Dove firing the projectiles from his sword.

"Splode!" The Bugster cried as it threw another petal at the Huntsmen, Dove desperately trying to shoot it down. When his bullets did nothing, he panicked and threw the sword at it, ducking for cover as the explosion inevitably came.

"Grrr, you monster!" Cardin shouted in frustration as he got back to his feet and rushed towards the Bugster, throwing a punch to its face, rearing back in pain as expected. However, this didn't deter him, he kicked and punched expertly, but nothing was hurting the Bugster, who seemed transfixed on the Huntsman's breast plate.

"'Splode!" The Bugster said as it caught Cardin's fist in its hand and twisted it, the pain sending Cardin to his knees. The 'Splode Bugster then plucked yet another petal and threatened to place it on Cardin's exposed breast plate, but before it could bring it down a blast of energy hit the explosive, detonating it in the Bugster's hand and sending it staggering back.

Cardin clutched his wrist as he was freed, looking over to see Snipe aiming the Gashacon Breaker at the injured Bugster, firing four more shots that all hit their marks on the creature's chest, sending it tumbling to the ground.

"What, but how…?" Cardin demanded.

"We told you, only we can defeat that thing!" Ex-Aid said as he finished off the last of the Bugster Soldiers, turning his attention to the 'Splode Bugster, tapping the B button on the Gashacon Breaker twice. "Ordinary attacks don't work on it, only us Kamen Riders can defeat it!" He stated as he rushed towards the Bugster. As it got back up to its feet it plucked two of its petals and threw them at Ex-Aid, only for them to be shot out of the air by Snipe. The 'Splode Bugster stiffened in fear as Ex-Aid closed the last bit of distance with a leap, about to bring down the Gashacon Breaker on its head.

"Stay… OUT OF THIS!" Cardin roared in defiance as he tackled Ex-Aid out of the air, the two falling to and rolling on the ground. The Bugster was just as surprised as Snipe was, but had little time to figure it out as Russel and Dove began desperately punching and kicking it, taking away any chance of Snipe getting a clear shot.

"Huh, hey, didn't you hear me, it's no use!" Ex-Aid called as he stumbled to his feet.

"I said _beat it!_ " Cardin shouted as he shoved Ex-Aid back to the ground and joined his team in pointlessly beating on the Bugster. Despite not at all being damage, the 'Splode Bugster seemed annoyed by the onslaught and thus hit them all a way with a single, powerful swing of its arm.

"'Splode?" The Bugster said as it noticed Cardin's Scroll falling onto the pixelated ground. "'Splode!" It exclaimed, finding its way out. A moment later the Bugster turned itself into data and flew into the Scroll, Snipe firing a few desperate shots to stop it, but it was too late.

"No!" Ex-Aid cried in frustration, as he stood back up, his hand out stretched as if that would bring the Bugster back. With a reluctant sigh, Ex-Aid and Snipe closed their Gamer Drivers and pulled out their Rider Gashats, cancelling the transformation and thus returning them all to the courtyard at Beacon.

"Where did it go?" Cardin wondered, looking around for the absent Bugster.

"It escaped." Ren said as he approached him. "Because of _your_ negligence." He asserted, shoving Cardin's scroll into his chest.

"What were you thinking!?" Jaune said as he joined the group, an angry glare on his face. "If you hadn't got in the way, we could've defeated the Bugster and Sky would be cured by now!"

"I told you, I'm not trusting the reject team to take care of my teammate!" Cardin replied, returning Jaune's glare.

"Well you don't have a choice, we're the only ones that can defeat the Bugster, so step off and let us do our job!" Jaune shot back.

"Oh, so Jauney Boy thinks he's a big strong man now, just because he can turn into some fancy, pink superhero!" Cardin rebuked, his bully-like taunting seeping through. "Well forget it, if you dorks can beat it, we sure as hell can!"

"You… are you seriously making this about your stupid macho pride!" Jaune exclaimed in absolute disgust.

"Your _DAMN RIGHT_ IT'S ABOUT MY PRIDE!" Cardin roared, grabbing Jaune by the caller and lifting him off the ground.

"Jaune!" Ren cried in concern, but was cut off by Russel and Dove.

"I worked my ass off my whole life to get into this school, to become the leader of my team, and there's no way I'm going to let some gamer geek that can barely swing a sword SHOW ME UP!" He bellowed in Jaune's face before punching him back to the ground, Ren quickly rushing to his side. "…If you want to make yourselves useful, take Sky to the infirmary, _we've_ got a freaky flower to hunt." Cardin said as he and his team strode off to the dorms, do doubt to replace the equipment that they had just lost.

"Wait!" Jaune called.

"Forget it Jaune, they won't listen." Ren lamented, much to Jaune's ire.

* * *

"Ugh, that stupid meat head!" Yang exclaimed as she punched the wall, her eyes flashing red. Reluctantly, Jaune and Ren complied with Cardin's request and brought Sky to the CR, where he now lied in the patient bed and the two boys met back up with the rest of their friends and filled them in.

"Unbelievable, to think that he'd put his own pride before the wellbeing of his teammate." Pyrrha said with disgust.

"I told you we should've broken his legs." Nora added matter-of-factly.

"Honestly, Ozpin clearly made a mistake in naming that brute team leader, but then again it's not like he had many options with that sorry bunch." Weiss stated in her typical haughty tone.

"You're not seriously gonna just back off, right Jaune?" Ruby asked concernedly.

"Of course not!" Jaune asserted.

"But Team CRDL is adamant about not receiving help from us, and it seems they'll even actively get in our way if we go after the Bugster." Ren stated.

"But if you don't, not only will Sky disappear, but the rest of his team will probably get hurt trying to fight it." Blake added.

"Man, what a mess." Jaune complained, ruffling his own hair in frustration.

"Okay~! The patient's diagnosis is in!" Poppy cried happily as she practically skipped into the room.

"Good news?" Ruby hoped.

"Not at all, he's stabilized for the moment, but he needs to be operated on right away if he's gonna have any chance of making it." Poppy replied, her cheerful smile contrasting the serious nature of the situation.

"…Uh, and you're happy about that?" Blake asked in confusion.

"Oh, no, no, of course I'm very concerned, it's just… well… he said such flattering things to me that I just…" Poppy struggled to explain, a bright blush appearing on her cheeks as she began giggling in delight.

"Wait, did he _flirt_ with you?" Yang asked in disbelief.

"Well, Sky is a gamer, he probably got excited meeting the real life Poppy Pipopapo." Jaune suggested.

"He said my songs are his favorite ones to play in DoReMiFa Beat!" Poppy ecstatically exclaimed, twirling all around the room.

"Well she's easy to please." Weiss said with a roll of her eyes.

"Still, I'm really surprised that a bully like Sky turned out to be a gamer." Ruby stated.

"People who share the same hobbies don't always share the same morals, I mean, just look at Player Killer M." Blake reminded.

"…You don't think that Sky could be…" Ruby began.

"Not possible." Jaune cut her off. "Player Killer M may be crazy and secretive, but he takes great pride in being a gamer, he would _never_ deny his love of games." He claimed with absolute certainty as he looked down at a sad looking Sky from the lounge. Without saying another word, Jaune descended the staircase and walked into the patient room, the sound of the automatic doors alerting Sky to his presence.

"Ultra… I mean, Jaune." Sky quickly corrected himself.

"Either one's fine…" Jaune paused. "Actually, I think we should stick with Jaune, being called by my gamer tag in real life is a little… embarrassing." He admitted with an awkward scratch of his head. Sky chuckled in response.

"Yeah, I know the feeling." He said before his face fell into a crestfallen look. "Jaune, I owe you an apology."

"Apology, for what?" Jaune inquired.

"For… everything!" Sky replied. "For the stuff my team did to you, the stuff _I_ did to you, and the rocket locker thing… ugh!" Sky's stopped his rant when the sharp pain in his head returned, the instruments on his bed going crazy.

"Hey, hey, it's fine, really, no big deal!" Jaune frantically assured.

"But…"

"Really, I totally get it." Jaune insisted. "I mean, Cardin obviously isn't very respectful of other people's hobbies, and considering that you have to live with the guy… I'm sure most people would've made the same decision." Sky seemed to calm down, but his face still wore a sad, regretful look.

"Yeah… so this thing I have, is it really a computer virus?" Sky inquired, hoping to change the subject.

"Yes, I'll spare you the details, but basically it's a virus created by combing Grimm data with corrupted game data, it's called the Bugster Virus." Jaune explained.

"And what you said before, about only you being able to beat it?"

"Yeah, the Bugsters are made of computer data, so only computer data can harm them, that's what the Gamer Drivers are for."

"So Cardin and the others…" Sky hesitated to ask.

"They won't be able to beat it, not that he'd listen to us." Jaune confirmed, bitterly noting his fellow leader's stubbornness.

"Ha, ha, yeah, Cardin's definitely one to never stop until he gets his way. It's actually one of the things I admire about him." Sky said, his mood improving at the thought of his leader.

"Admire?" Jaune said with a confused tilt of his head.

"I know he might seem like a conceited jarhead, but he's actually a pretty good leader, especially for a bunch of wimps like Dove, Russel, and I." Sky chuckled. "You know, during initiation, Dove and I got lost in the Emerald Forest, and ended up getting attacked by this huge Deathstalker."

"A Deathstalker!" Jaune exclaimed in disbelief. "That giant scorpion thing!"

"I know right, I've never seen a Grimm that big before, when Dove and I were done being frozen in fear we just ran for it, the thing on our tail for who knows how long." Sky reminisced. "Then, out of nowhere, Cardin and Russel come rushing in and attack it, Cardin tanking while Russel's chipping away at it wherever he can, I swear it was a scene straight out of Drago Knight Hunter!"

"Sure sounds like it." Jaune concurred, practically being able to see the image himself.

"Dove and I had no idea what we were looking at, when Cardin turns to us, barks some orders, and then suddenly the two of us are in the fight, trying to lop off that stinger of his while he kept it busy, it was insane! It took a while, but we eventually took the thing down, got the relics, and earned our spots here at this school. So yeah, he's definitely a jerk, but I owe that jerk my life; I probably wouldn't even be here at Beacon if it weren't for him."

"Wow, sounds like you really… respect him." Jaune said with no small degree of surprise.

"Of course I do, he's my leader." Sky asserted.

It was then that everything clicked for Jaune, of course, why didn't he see it before. Jerk or not, Cardin was a team leader, just like him, and he must have been feeling the exact same way that Jaune felt when he let the Revol Bugster get away. The helplessness, the self-loathing, the soul crushing regret that your teammate was suffering and you were powerless to help, if Jaune were a bit more hot headed, he probably would've desperately attacked the Bugster as well if he were in Cardin's shoes.

"Though, I completely understand that he's next to useless when it comes to helping me with this game disease I have." Sky lamented, gaining a light chuckle from Jaune.

"Well, don't worry, even if your leader can't cure you, Ren and I definitely will, you just leave everything to us." Jaune promised.

"Oh, I'm not worried." Sky admitted, much to Jaune's surprise. "After all, if this whole thing really is just some crazy video game there's nobody better to have on the case than _the_ Ultra Player J!" He gushed, much to Jaune's embarrassment. "Seriously though, I really am a _huge_ fan, can you sign my Play Pad!" He requested as he pulled out the device as well as a black marker from who knows where.

"Uh… sure, I guess." Jaune reluctantly complied, Sky's face brightening all the more as he took the two objects from him.

"I can't believe you actually get to play a game of Block Miner _in real life_! Man, I'd give anything to be able to play that with you."

"Yeah, well that's…" Jaune began as he wrote his name, or rather his gamer tag, on the Play Pad. However, he paused as he pondered that though, an idea forming in his head. "Play together…"

* * *

Cardin let out a loud, frustrated grunt as he brought down his mace onto the 'Splode Bugster's back, the weapon casually bouncing off of the creature's back without so much a gaining the creature's attention. As promised, Team CRDL had gone out looking for the Bugster and actually managed to find it in the abandoned shipping yard, its pixelated Game Area being a dead giveaway. The three Huntsmen immediately attacked it, but so far they hadn't even managed to alert the Bugster to their presence as it continued to place its petals all around the vital points of one of the storage units.

"Cardin… it's not working!" Russel stated as his blades bounced off for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Then switch to dust!" Cardin ordered as the crystal at the end of his mace began to glow. Russel and Dove retreated as Cardin slammed the mace head into the Bugster, the resulting explosion completely reflecting off and sending Cardin flying back.

"Ah crap!" Russel exclaimed as he and Dove spun the Dust chambers in their weapons and began firing, Russel using lighting Dust while Dove used ice. However, neither had any effect, the Bugster completely focused on its task. Eventually, the last petal was placed and the 'Splode Bugster excitedly stepped back as they began to flash.

"Oh no." Dove said as he and the rest of his team realized what was happening.

"…'SPLODE!" The Bugster exclaimed before the petals all detonated, exploding the building and sending a shock wave that knocked Team CRDL back and caused the Game Area to glitch.  
"Ugh, you know, I'm starting to think that this wasn't such a good idea after all." Dove admitted as he struggled to his feet.

"I hate to say it, but maybe those JNPR guys had…"

"Just shut up and fight!" Cardin ordered. "The hell kind of Huntsmen are we if we can't deal with some creepy video game plant monster!" His grip tightened around his weapon so much that his skin began turning white, he couldn't let this creature get the best of them; not when their teammate's life was on the line. It was then that the Bugster finally turned its attention to the three Huntsmen, or rather to their shiny new weapons.

"'Splode!" It cried with delight as it picked a few petals and threw them. There was a moment of hesitation, the team having to fight against their instincts to block the projectiles, but before any of them took action, the petals were shot out of the air, not by bullets, but by what seemed to be pixelated arrows.

"Huh?" Cardin gasped in confusion, the Bugster sharing the sentiment. They all looked to where the arrows had been shot and were shocked to find none other than Sky aiming a strange pixelated crossbow in their direction.

"You guys ok?" Sky asked as he straightened up an approached them.

"Sky, the hell are you doing out here, shouldn't be in the hospital or something?" Cardin demanded an explanation.

"The Bugster Virus is empowered by stress." At the sound of the familiar voice, Cardin looked passed Sky to see the unwelcomed sight of Ex-Aid approaching, the rest of Team JNPR following not to far behind. "And there's no better way for a gamer to relieve stress than to play games." Ex-Aid stated, placing a hand on Sky's shoulder as the boy in question nodded in agreement.

"I thought I told you to back off!" Cardin growled angrily.

"Well too bad, you may be bigger and stronger than me Cardin, but video games are my turf, and there's no way I'm gonna let some muscle headed noob show me up!" Ex-Aid rebuked challengingly. Cardin was fuming at the Rider's declaration, but before he could explode a grey block was thrown at Cardin's face, the boy grunting in pain as he took the object in his hand.

"Heads up!" Nora called as she threw a few more, along with some brown blocks, to the rest of Team CRDL.

"What's this?" Cardin wondered as he examined the blocks.

"Wait, this is… metal." Russel said in realization.

"And this is wood!" Dove added. Cardin looked skeptical, but upon further inspection the grey blocks certainly had the familiar heft and feel of iron, while the brown blocks were the same smooth feeling of wood.

"You're gonna need this to." Ex-Aid said as he threw Cardin what seemed to be a cube of fire Dust.

"What's this for?"

"To craft your weapons of course." Ex-Aid replied casually.

"Craft our…" Cardin was cut off by a strange 3x3 square grid appearing before him, as well as to his two teammates.

"The Bugster can only be hurt by things made from computer data." Sky explained. "Lucky for us, Block Miner is a game all about crafting stuff from the materials we find in the world around us, a world made of computer data."

"So, if we make weapons from this block stuff…" Russel began.

"Then we can actually fight the flower thing!" Dove finished, exchanging an excited look with Russel and Sky.

Cardin however remained uncertain; he noticed that Snipe, Nora, and Pyrrha all had block crafted weapons as well, certainly he understood that this way he could finally fight the Bugster and save his teammate, but his pride was a tough hurdle to clear, and it told him to refuse the offer that came from one he saw as his inferior.

"So what, are you taking pity on me now?" Cardin spat as he threw the Dust block back at Ex-Aid, the Rider effortlessly catching it. His face was hidden behind his mask, but somehow Cardin could tell that he was glaring at him as he stood forward, staring him down before holding the block back out to him.

"I'm giving you a chance to beat me at my own game." Ex-Aid replied. Again nobody could be certain what face he was making, but somehow Cardin knew without a doubt that he had a cocky smirk on as he said those words. With this in mind, all of Cardin's apprehension vanished as he cracked a cocky smirk of his own.

"Well in that case, it'll be my pleasure." He replied as he snatched the block back, completely unaware that he was dancing in the palm of Ex-Aid's hand.

Team CRDL then got to crafting, placing the blocks onto the square grid that vaguely made the shape of weapons. Once they were finished, they hit a floating CRAFT icon and suddenly the raw materials morphed themselves into pixelated weapons. Cardin made himself a replica of his own mace, complete with a pixel Dust crystal imbedded in the head, while Russel and Dove made a crossbow and a sword respectively.

"'Splode… 'Splode!" The 'Splode Bugster cried excitedly as it found new targets to destroy.

"Better hope you don't regret this Jauney Boy, cause I'm not holding back any." Cardin taunted as either team took their positions on opposite sides of the rode, staring each other down.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Ex-Aid replied confidently as he crafted his own weapon, an iron sword. "It's a team match between JNPR and CRDL, the team with the highest score at the end of the battle wins." Ex-Aid explained the rules before pointing his crafted sword at the Bugster. "The target is the 'Splode Flower. We'll clear this game with no continues!" He declared with a flick of his wrist.

"His catchphrase!" Sky nearly squealed, gaining a silent eye roll form his teammates.

"'Splode!" The 'Splode Bugster yelled as it summoned an army of Bugster Soldiers.

"I'm going in, you three just hang back and cover me." Cardin instructed with a few practice swings of his mace.

"It's what we're best at." Russel acknowledged, he and the rest of his team preparing for battle.

"SPLODE!" With another cry of its nonsense word, the Bugster Soldiers were sent to attack, Ex-Aid and Cardin rushing into the fray as their remaining teammates prepared to pick off stragglers. At least, that's what CRDL expected to do. Cardin prepared to be swarmed by the Bugster Soldiers, but to his surprise only a couple engaged him, the rest flying right passed him to go for their teammates.

"Huh, why are they going for the others?" Cardin wondered as he began swinging at the few that grabbed at him.

"Our weapons are made of iron, theirs are made out of steel." Ex-Aid explained between slashing at the Bugsters. "It's obvious that the 'Splode Flower would go for the items made of better materials, don't you think?"

"Hmph, thought that far ahead, did ya?" Cardin huffed with a sarcastic smirk as he smashed his weapon into the face of a Bugster.

"It was Sky's idea actually." Ex-Aid admitted as he leaped over an advancing Bugster. Cardin paused at this fact, sparing a glance back at his blue haired teammate; he seemed to be having a blast as he stole a kill from Pyrrha. "He figured you'd want to take point and wanted to give you an opening, and I'd say we have one." Ex-Aid continued as he pointed out the clear path to the nervous looking 'Splode Bugster.

"Heh, damn right we do." Cardin said with an evil glint in his eye as he dashed forward, crafted mace raised above his head.

"Splode!" The Bugster exclaimed as it just barely avoided the swing, only to get jabbed in the gut by the butt of Cardin's weapon.

It staggered back, giving Cardin enough room for another overhead swing, unfortunately the Bugster managed to bring its arms up in time to block and kick Cardin in the gut to create some distance. The 'Splode Bugster then plucked two petals and threw them at the Huntsmen, Cardin having no choice but to roll out of the way lest he lose his weapon yet again. Meanwhile, this gave Ex-Aid the perfect opening, leaping up onto a couple of Chocolate Blocks and coming down at the unsuspecting Bugster, landing a powerful downward slash. He followed up with a horizontal slash that made it stagger back and finished to combo with a strong thrust of his sword, hitting one of the petals on the Bugster's face. It thus began flashing, Ex-Aid quickly retreating before the petal detonated, the Bugster falling to the ground at its own petal's explosion.

"What the…!" Cardin exclaimed in shock.

"Cardin, aim for the petals!" Sky called from the rear. "They'll hurt it and they won't grow back!" He explained before silently cursing at having a kill stolen by Pyrrha.

"Huh, good to know!" Cardin said as he slammed his mace onto the ground, the pixel of Dust sending a shockwave of fire across the street. Ex-Aid and the Bugster narrowly evaded the attack, giving Cardin the chance to close the distance and swing at the Bugster again, sliding passed its guard and hitting the creature in the face, detonating two petals.

The Bugster rolled on its back and onto its knees just in time to block another swing from Cardin and punch him in the face, causing him to stagger back. It saw Ex-Aid approaching and thought quickly, digging its feet into the ground. Its legs took root and out from ground popped four tendril-like roots that began attacking the two Huntsmen. Ex-Aid and Cardin tried their hardest to avoid the roots, hitting them away and evading their strikes, but they couldn't get passed the to get to the Bugster.

"Pyrrha, I could use some help up here!" Ex-Aid called to his partner.

"On it!" The redheaded champion complied, leaving Snipe and Nora to deal with the Bugster Soldiers.

"Ugh, Sky!" Cardin yelled as he blocked another tendril.

"Already here!" Sky said as he kneeled down next to his leader and took aim, Pyrrha doing the same. As two of the tendrils approached, Pyrrha and Sky fired at them, the force of the arrows forcing them to retreat and become unable to properly attack.

"Go, we'll handle this!" Pyrrha assured.

"Thanks." Ex-Aid replied before advancing.

"For everything." Cardin said with a pat on Sky's shoulder before dashing off without another word.

"'Splode!" The Bugster exclaimed as it plucked from the petals that were left and threw them at the approaching warriors. They effortlessly dodged the projectiles and closed the distance between them, the Bugster ducking under a slash from Ex-Aid and uprooting itself to leap out of the way of an overhead swing from Cardin. However, Ex-Aid leaped over Cardin and met the Bugster in the air, landing a slash that detonated two petals, the resulting explosions sending it tumbling back to the ground. As it dizzily righted itself, Cardin was already waiting for it, letting out a loud battle cry as he crashed the mace into the last remaining petal, sending the Bugster flying back in one last detonation.

"Now you're mine!" Cardin declared, fully prepared to end it with this last swing of his weapon.

"I don't think so!" Ex-Aid said as he threw his sword to the side. "I'll be the one to get the last hit!" He declared before removing his Rider Gashat from the Driver, blowing into it, and sliding it into the Kimewaza Slot Holder.

" _Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " The device announced as Ex-Aid hit the switch and energy began collecting in his foot.

"Go Cardin, you can do it!" Sky encouraged as Cardin raced to get the last hit, a small smile finding its way onto the Huntsmen face.

" _Mighty Critical Strike!_ " The Gashat exclaimed with a second press of the switch. With a loud huff, Ex-Aid leaped into the air, soaring over Cardin's head and landing a kick on to the defenseless Bugster, the shockwave of which sent Cardin staggering back and falling onto the ground. Cardin could only watch as Ex-Aid landed a series of gravity defying kicks, the Bugster grunting in pain with each one.

" _Kaishin no Ippatsu!_ " The Gashat cried as Ex-Aid landed the last kick and took a knee on the ground.

"'Spl… 'Sp-'Splo…S-S-SPLOOOOOODDDEEEEE!" The 'Splode Bugster cried as it exploded, Ex-Aid standing in his victory pose. As Sky gawked at the epic looking scene, he noticed that the black sparks that accompanied him throughout the match had now faded, any semblance of pain he felt from his migraines having disappeared.

"You've been cured." Pyrrha stated, much to Sky's relief.

" _Game Clear!_ " The Game Area announced as a ring of game titles surrounded them, a twelfth icon appearing displaying a blocky character mining diamonds as the words GAME CLEAR appeared over it. Moments later, two individual score boards appear above them, one for Team JNPR, the other for Team CRDL. The two teams waited with baited breath as the Game Area tallied up their Kills, Tech Points, and Continues, all adding to their Total Score. After what felt like hours of waiting, the score was JNPR: 21344 WIN, CRDL: 20463 LOSE. With the winner decided, the Game Area dissipated, their crafted weapons along with it.

"WE WON!" Nora cried joyously as she latched onto Snipe, the boy just barely managing to keep his balance.

"Oh man, we lost!" Russel lamented as he and Dove lumped over in disappointment.

"Of course we lost, we're up against a _legend_ here!" Sky said as he gestured to Ex-Aid. "We should be happy that the scores ended up being so close."

Cardin didn't pay much attention to what they were saying as he stared up at the scoreboard, his mind flashing back to the Aura Gauges of his sparing match with Jaune. He narrowed his eyes angrily and slammed his fist into the ground in frustration, to think that his team actually lost.

" _Gatchon! Gashun!_ " The Gamer Driver announced as Jaune canceled the transformation. He walked up to the sitting Cardin, a serious look on his face as he met his glare, before his face suddenly lifted into a smile, much to Cardin's surprise.

"Good game." He said as he offered Cardin his hand. Cardin looked between the hand and Jaune's smiling face, as if he wasn't entirely sure what the gesture was meant to mean. Cardin then scoffed and looked away, making Jaune hesitate, only for Cardin to take his hand anyway, allowing Jaune to help him to his feet.

"Listen loser, you only won because of that weird belt thing you have; doesn't count." Cardin stated as he dusted himself off.

"Oh come on, don't be like that!" Nora complained as the rest of Team JNPR rejoined their leader.

"You know, we didn't have to include you, we could have just as easily kept you at bay while Jaune and Ren fought the Bugster." Pyrrha stated.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, if it makes you losers feel better, then fine, you beat us at a stupid video game, congratulations." Cardin replied tauntingly before disregarding Pyrrha and Nora's angry looks and rejoining his team. "And as for _you_ Sky, you've got some serious explaining to do." Cardin said menacingly as he towered over his nervous looking teammate. "…But, that can wait till after we get a bite to eat, my treat." Cardin continued in a lighter tone, patting Sky encouragingly on his shoulder.

"Uh, y-yeah, sure thing Cardin." Sky replied enthusiastically before following his leader back into Vale, Russel and Dove following close behind.

"Your welcome by the way!" Nora shouted at them with an annoyed sigh.

"It's probably for the best, a team needs to stay united." Ren suggested.

"Right, teammates come first, and despite everything, I think it's safe to say that Team CRDL has a pretty good leader." Jaune admitted thinking back to how well the team had coordinated themselves in the fight, particularly to how Cardin had taken Sky's gamer advice in stride.

"Well, they aren't the only ones." Pyrrha said, placing a confident hand on Jaune's shoulder. Jaune was surprised by the implication, looking to Nora and Ren to see that they seemed to share the same sentiment.

"Heh, thanks guys." Jaune replied with an appreciative smile, he didn't know how well he would do as team leader, especially to a team of highly trained Huntsmen, but leader or not, he was part of a team, and it was ok to rely on them as much as they had come to rely on him.

* * *

"How could you let this happen Ozpin!?" A finely dressed man shouted at the calm looking Headmaster from behind a video screen. In the Kingdom of Mistral, the high council had gathered in order to discuss the currant state of humanity's defenses against the Bugster Virus. A large holographic screen within the council room displayed live feed of the councils of the other three Kingdoms, Vale, Atlas, and Vacuo, as well as the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin, whose recent actions were being brought into question.

"The High Councils of all four kingdoms went to great lengths to compile the list of Kamen Rider candidates and yet two of the four Gamer Drivers have gone to none of them!" Another member of the Mistral Council bellowed.

"The case of Jaune Arc being made Ex-Aid can be overlooked, considering the situation, but the inclusion of Lie Ren as Snipe on nothing more than a whim is unacceptable!" A member of the Atlas council stated, slamming his fist down on the table he sat at.

"Well Ozpin, what do you have to say to all of this?" The head of the Vale Council asked, giving Ozpin the floor. The man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and took a casual sip of his coffee before responding.

"I understand all of your concerns, certainly this is not the most ideal of situations, but I believe we all agreed that the candidates deserved the right to decline this immense responsibility, and as the Headmaster of Beacon Academy I refused to take the time to approach another of the preapproved candidates, inform them of our dire situation, and convince them to agree to wear the Driver, a process that I am sure would have taken far longer than it would have taken the Bugster Virus to claim the life of one of my students." Ozpin asserted. "Is that not our goal here, to save as many lives as possible?"

"I understand you were in a difficult position Ozpin," Ironwood said from his seat at the Atlas Council. "But we must think of the long term. We've chosen these candidates for a reason, they are the best of their generation and will certainly be able to do much more than an untrained gamer or a sub-par Huntsmen."

"Perhaps, but there is no use fretting over mistakes already made, for now we should focus on what our next move shall be." Ozpin stated, shifting the topic of the conversation. "I believe that I have given more than enough evidence to convince you all that not only is the virus being purposefully spread, but that the Kingdom of Vale is being specifically targeted. I understand I am in no position to ask this, but must request that all four Kamen Riders be stationed at my Academy." With this declaration the Councils of all four Kingdoms began silently deliberating amongst themselves, Ozpin's calm demeanor perfectly masking his anticipation of their answer.

"…Very well Ozpin, with three confirmed cases within a single week, I suppose we cannot deny the danger posed to the Kingdom of Vale." A council member of Vacuo answered first with the rest of the councils voicing their own approval.

"However, you must assure to us that the remaining Gamer Drivers will be given to the preapproved candidates, particularly that one Ms. Pyrrha Nikos. It would be foolhardy not to have such an exceptional Huntress become one of the defenders of humanity." The head of the Vale Council warned Ozpin.

"I will certainly extend the offer to her again, and I will do everything in my power to convince her to accept." Ozpin complied.

* * *

" _Then it's settled, the remaining Gamer Drivers will be sent to Beacon Academy, The Kingdom of Vale being acknowledged as the epicenter of the second Bugster outbreak._ " The voice of General Ironwood said through a scroll that lay atop of Mistral Council Hall. Lying next to the device, casually snacking on a banana, was a young blond teen, his head elevated by his own arm as the other fed him the fruit. The most striking feature of the boy was the long monkey tail that extended from the base of his spine, proving the boy to a Faunus. The animal feature that proved his heritage was currently occupied with spinning an object at the end of it while the boy intently listened to the conversation held within the walls of the building.

"Hmm, Vale huh?" The boy said curiously, a mischievous smirk finding its way on his face as he ceased the twirling of his tail, revealing the device to be a yellow colored Gashat, the label depicting a yellow clad dirt biker with the words Bakusou Bike overhead.

* * *

 **A/N: And BOOM, there you guys have it, the fifth chapter of Gamer** **Riders of Remnant! For those of you who don't know, Jaundice is a skin condition that turns the skin and eyes yellow due to high Bilirubin levels in the blood, so the titling of those episodes in Vol 1 were probably meant to reference the phrase "yellow-bellied coward" in the way Jaune was acting towards Cardin. Anyway, you guys got to see another of our OC Bugsters, this time around we referenced the game Minecraft, and the 'Splode Flower itself is a reference to the Game Theory episode that said that the Creepers are actually some sort of sentient plant monster, so yeah. Also you got to hear a little bit of Genm's background in this AU, I can't reveal to much about it here, but I will tell you that Player Killer M is NOT an OC, we're trying to avoid those as much as we can.**

 **Man, can you guys believe that by the time the next chapter is up, Ex-Aid will be over! That fact has been looming over me for the passed two weeks now, I have legit almost cried just thinking about it. So I just wanted to take a moment and appreciate how great this entry in the Kamen Rider Series has been, I remember first seeing the design of Ex-Aid and just rolling my eyes at how ridiculous it seemed. But then when I realized that it would have a video game motif I begged to whatever force in the universe determines which Rider shows ended up being good to let Kamen Rider Ex-Aid _just not suck_. And here we are, 44 episodes later, and I can officially say that Ex-Aid has dethroned Gaim as my favorite Kamen Rider show of all time, it blew my expectations completely out of the water and I'm sure I will be crying like a baby when the series finale comes to an end. **

**Bottom line, as a gamer I'm super sad that Ex-Aid is ending, but as a physics major I'm super hyped for Kamen Rider Build. Well, that's all for this chapter, hope you all enjoyed it and remember to R &R please.**


	6. Dashing for the Finish Line!

**A/N: Hey guys, MCN here, and I am FINALLY FREE FROM THE BONDS OF FINALS! Seriously, I finished up my finals this week and I am just sooooo looking forward to the holidays. Anyway, sorry this took so long, even taking into consideration that I updated another fic before this one, this still took a lot longer than I would have liked it too. But on the plus side, the chapter ended up being pretty long, so hopefully that will make up for the wait. Anyway, enough talk, let's get to the action!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Ex-Aid or RWBY**

* * *

 **Dashing for the Finish Line!**

Jaune hummed a pleasant tune as he slipped on his clothes for the day; the blond boy was feeling particularly good this morning, having had a goodnight sleep the night before and classes having been canceled on account of some Faunus civil rights holiday. Between training, schoolwork, and dealing with the Bugster Virus, Team JNPR was certainly looking forward to the day off, the team just waiting on their leader to get dressed in order to go meet Team RWBY in the dinning hall for breakfast.

"Alright, let's get going you guys." Jaune said, receiving approving cheers from his teammates that followed him to the door. Jaune opened it up wide only to be met with a large crowd of students all gathered out in the hallway, all talking over each other the moment they realized the team was emerging from their room. Jaune immediately slammed the door shut and propped himself against it with a worried look on his face. "And there's an angry mob outside our room." Jaune quipped, though his surprise and concern were genuine.

"Strange, I don't think we did anything to warrant the students rallying against us." Ren said with a pondering hand on his chin.

"Perhaps they're just here to wish us a good morning?" Pyrrha optimistically suggested.

"You mean wish _you_ a good morning Pyrrha." Nora chimed in.

"Huh, me?" Pyrrha replied quizzically.

"Oh don't play dumb Ms. I-had-my-face-plastered-on-a-cereal-box, I know an angry mob when I see one, and those kids out there didn't seem so angry to me." Nora stated. "Obviously they caught wind that the great Pyrrha Nikos was living in this room and took the opportunity to finally get to hound you for autographs and pictures and stuff." She explained with an almost proud expression.

"Wow, you really think so?" Jaune said in shock and awe.

"Does stuff like this ever actually happen to you?" Ren inquired.

"Maybe once… or twice…" Pyrrha awkwardly admitted. "I'm very sorry." She added with an apologetic bow of her head.

"Hey, no worries, you can't help it that you're famous." Jaune insisted sympathetically.

"Of course, that still leaves the question of how we're going to get out of our room." Ren stated with a pensive look on his face.

"Well… I suppose we could just give them what they want." Pyrrha offered.

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that Pyrrha." Jaune said.

"It's no trouble at all, really, I'll just indulge them for a bit so that the rest of you can go on ahead to breakfast." Pyrrha assured.

"You go Pyrrha, taking one for the team!" Nora praised, wrapping an arm around the champion's shoulder.

"Well, alright, if you're really fine with it." Jaune conceded. Pyrrha nodded in confirmation before escaping Nora's grasp and walking towards the door. She placed her hand on the handle, taking a moment to steel herself and then opened the door to reveal the mob of students.

"Hello everyone!" She greeted kindly.

"That's him right?" One of the students shouted, pointing passed Pyrrha to her blonde headed partner.

"Yeah, that's him, that's Ultra Player J!" Another student cried in excitement.

"Wait, huh?" Jaune said with a confused tilt of his head, but before he could ponder the mention of his gamer tag any further the crowd of students flooded into JNPR's dorm room, practically shoving Pyrrha to the side and surrounding Jaune.

"Man, I can't believe I go to the same school as Ultra Player J!" One student gushed.

"Gotta admit, I didn't really buy it when that guy from CRDL yelled out you're name, but here you are, in the flesh!" Another student added.

"Will you sign my Play Pad?"

"Can I get a picture?"

"Hey J, do you remember me, we played on the same server once!"

"Uh, g-guys, a little help?" Jaune requested.

"Someone's gotta take one for the team." Ren quipped, his tone just barely shifting to one of amusement.

"We'll save you some breakfast, superstar!" Nora added happily as she followed Ren out the door.

"I… I'm sorry!" Pyrrha apologized before hesitantly following the rest of her team, leaving Jaune to deal with the swarm of rabid fans, much to his horror.

* * *

The docks of downtown Vale isn't exactly the kind of place a young person would go for rest and relaxation. With fishing boats coming in and out of the harbor, blaring their horns and carrying the appalling scent of freshly caught fish with them, it was an area that most would steer clear of when in search of a good time. However, on this particular day, it was the spot Blake Belladonna had chosen to spend her day off. Despite Ruby's insistence that their team spend the day together, each member had radically different ideas for activities, and so they just ended up going their separate ways after a hardy breakfast with their sister team JNPR, minus their leader. Blake certainly couldn't complain, she enjoyed her time with Team RWBY, but she also enjoyed her solitude, something she had been missing since the formation of their team. The docks' unappealing nature acted as a nice deterrent for any that wished to disturb her, but Blake herself didn't mind the spot all that much. The crisp sea breeze was rather calming, and the scent of tuna wasn't exactly unwelcomed either. And so, here she was, sitting on a bench with full view of the docks, peacefully reading a book on her day off, no Grimm, no schoolwork, and no distractions.

"Hey, stop that Faunus!" An unpleasant voice shouted in the distance, reluctantly bringing Blake out of the immersive world of her novel. She looked over to where the shout had come from and saw two ship hands chasing a blond haired boy across the deck of their ship. Blake's eyes focused on the escaping teen and noticed the long, furred appendage that swayed behind him, as expected he was a Faunus. Just as the ship hands were catching up to him, the Faunus boy leaped up onto the edge of the boat, a smug look on his face.

"Thanks for the lift guys!" He taunted before nimbly leaping off the portside, landing in a crouch on the wooden docks.

"Hey, you there, freeze!" A new voice shouted. Rushing passed Blake was a duo of Vale City Police officers, rushing down the flight of stairs that led to the docks. The Faunus boy spared them an annoyed glance before smirking at the sight of a street light overhead. Once the officers were closing in, the Faunus leaped up and grabbed onto the lamp, spinning once before letting go and planting his feet into the faces of his new pursuers. He used them as a stepping stone to leap up and climb up the railing of the stairway, getting up to ground level and began to dash down the street.

"Grr, get back here you no good Faunus!" One of the officers demanded as he and his partner gave chase, climbing back up the stairs. Once on ground level they looked to find that the Faunus boy was nowhere to be found. They quickly wondered where he could have gone before one officer spotted Blake on the bench, having gone back to reading her book.

"Hey, you there!" The officer said as he approached, Blake's golden eyes glancing up at him from her book. "You wouldn't have happened to have seen where that Faunus stowaway ran off to, did you?" He inquired, his partner joining him by his side.

"He went that way." Blake answered, immediately lowering her gaze back down to the page and pointing down the nearest street.

"Great, thanks kid." The officer thanked before dashing down the street with his partner, yelling out demands as if the Faunus boy would hear him. Blake waited a moment then glanced down the street she had sent them, their forms disappearing from view.

"They're gone, you can come out now." Blake said, prompting a head of spiky blond hair to peer over the staircase as if to check if the coast was truly clear. Apparently, when the officers were ascending the stairs, the monkey Faunus had leaped back over the railing, hanging over the edge in hopes his pursuers would go into town looking for him.

"Phew, that was a close one." He said with relief as he hopped back onto the ground. "Hey, thanks for not ratting me out." He said with a grateful smile.

"Don't mention it." Blake replied flatly as she went back to reading her book. "But I must say, you picked a really bad day to try and smuggle yourself into Vale."

"Yeah, probably, guess no matter where you go the police are gonna get all wound up on Faunus Pride Day." The monkey Faunus mused.

Faunus Pride Day was established to commemorate the end of the "Faunus Rights Revolution", more commonly known as the "Faunus War". The way it was celebrated varied from place to place, mostly dependent on the density of the Faunus population, but regardless of where you went, there were always a few reckless young Faunus who took the holiday as an opportunity to let loose and cause some mischief, leading the local authorities to be on high alert towards _any_ Faunus. It was rather ironic that the Faunus were discriminated against the most on a day meant to celebrate freedom and equality.

"If you understand, then I suggest you lay low for a while, those officers will still be looking for you." Blake advised before completely returning her attention to her book, no longer wanting to get involved.

"…Is that what _you're_ doing, laying low?" The Faunus boy inquired.

"What?" Blake replied, looking back up with a quizzical stare.

"You know, with the bow." He clarified, pointing to his own head to illustrate his point. Blake's heat skipped a beat and her eyes grew wide for a moment, the blonde's smirk widening as he obviously noticed her reaction.

"I… I have no idea what you're talking about." Blake denied, looking away awkwardly.

"Alright, so you don't want to say it out loud, I get it." The monkey Faunus replied utterly unconvinced. "…Actually, no I don't, cause if you ask me, you'd look a lot better without it." He added with a rather playful smirk.

"I tend not to take _fashion_ advice from total strangers." Blake rebuked as she buried her face into her book.

"Oh, well, the name's Sun, Sun Wukong." The Faunus introduced himself. "And you are?"

"Trying to read." Blake coldly responded, continuing to skim the page she was on.

"…Ok." Sun said. Blake hoped that he would take the hint and leave her be, however her hopes were dashed when the boy hopped onto the bench beside her, peering over her head to the page. "Whatcha reading about?" He asked innocently, Blake letting out an irritated sigh.

"It's a historical fiction novel about a Faunus child growing up during the Faunus Rights Revolution." Blake explained, not sparing Sun even a glance.

"Ohh, fitting." Sun cooed playfully. "So am I safe in guessing that this is all you're going to be doing to celebrate today?" He asked, propping his head up on his fist.

"Well, it _is_ just a day off from classes for me." Blake stubbornly insisted.

"Right, right… so any chance this book has pictures or…" Sun began, but was cut off by Blake slamming the book shut and standing from the bench.

"You know what, I'm getting tired of the smell of fish." She stated before walking away back into town. Confused, Sun gave a tentative sniff to his armpit before hopping off the bench and walking into town as well.

Blake immediately noticed the extra set of footsteps behind her and subtly increased her pace. Sun did no such thing but when Blake turned a corner, Sun did as well, and after a few blocks of this his intentions were obvious.

"What now?" Blake snapped at him, Sun somewhat startled by the sudden outburst. "If you want to say something, than say it, if not, stop following me." She demanded before turning to continue her trek through town.

"H-hey, wait up!" Sun pleaded, jogging up next to her. "Ok, look, you're a student at Beacon, right?" He asked.

"How did you…?"

"What can I say, I'm a student at Haven, I know a fellow Huntsmen when I see one." Sun claimed. "Anyway, I need to get to Beacon, and I don't exactly know my way around, so I just figured following you back was the easiest thing to do, I _swear_ I wasn't trying to be a creep or anything." He explained.

"Well then next time you might want to try asking first." Blake scolded with crossed arms and an annoyed glare.

"You would've said no." Sun asserted with a shrug of his shoulders. Blake sighed at the childish logic, she knew arguing with him would just be pointless, she couldn't help but wonder if all blonds were like this, or if it was just the ones around her.

"Fine, I'll take you to the station, from there you can take an airship to Beacon." Blake conceded.

"Sweet, thanks a ton!" Sun thanked as he began walking alongside Blake, a rather content smile on his face.

Resigned to her fate, Blake just led the blonde through town, noticing a few of the stores pandering to the numerous Faunus out in town celebrating with special sales and posters for events that would take place there. Blake glanced over at Sun to see if he had noticed such things as well, but if he did it didn't really show. He seemed more interested in the town itself, certainly the style of the buildings and shops were unfamiliar to him, the boy looking around in awe like a child. Blake let out a small smirk of amusement, but was most of all relieved that Sun didn't seem to have any intention of badgering her on the subject of Faunus Pride Day, or any other relating topics for the day. However, her relief didn't last as they passed by a bookstore, Tukson's Book Trade, just as a skirmish was developing inside. Blake did her best to ignore it, but her highly trained ears were able to catch every word said.

"You need to leave, right now!"

"Please Tukson, you're the only one I can turn to!"

"I told you, I can't help you!"

The door to the establishment swung open, gaining the duo's attention as they watched the tall and burly owner of the store, Tukson, attempt to force a brown haired, ram horned Faunus out the door.

"So you're just gonna turn your back on me, just like you turned your back on the cause!" The ram Faunus spat back as he tried desperately to keep himself in the store.

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't have what you're looking for here!" Tukson announced, attempting to hide the nature of their conversation as he finally overpowered the Faunus and pushed him onto the ground. "I suggest you look somewhere else." He added before shutting and locking the door behind him.

" _Fine_ , go ahead and run, you _coward_!" The ram Faunus shouted at the door before storming off.

"What do you think that was about?" Sun asked curiously.

"Who knows, but it's best that we don't get involved." Blake waved off the issue, turning and beginning to walk off, goading Sun to do the same.

As the Faunus man stomped down the street mumbling obscenities in regards to Tukson, a sudden pressure began building up in his chest, subtly squeezing harder and harder until it became an insufferable pain. He cried out in agony as he fell to his knees, supporting himself with one hand while the other clenched his chest. His screams of pain caught the duo's attention, turning only to stare in shock at the Faunus' condition.

"Or maybe not." Blake stated as she and Sun rushed to the stranger's side.

"Hey man, what's wrong?" Sun inquired as he kneeled down next to the Faunus, a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"I… I'm fine, I just…" He began before his gaze fell on Blake, his eyes widening and filling with shock and fear. "You… y-you're Adam's…" Now it was Blake's turn to go stiff in terror, but before the stranger could finish his thought the pain in his chest intensified, the man falling over as his skin began to glow with familiar black pixels and the blisters of the "Bugster Rash".

"Oh no." Blake said as she prepared her Game Scope and scanned the groveling Faunus, an icon of a skidding tire tread confirming the diagnosis.

"What is that, what are you doing to me?" The Faunus demanded as he scrambled to his feet.

"Sir, calm down, you're sick." Blake insisted in an attempt to calm him down.

"No, you… _you_ stay away from me!" The patient demanded as he began to step away.

"Hey, we're just trying to help." Sun said as he approached and placed a hand on the patient's shoulder.

"Get off me, I don't have time for this!" The patient snapped as he shrugged Sun's hand off and began sprinting down the road.

"No, wait!" Blake called, Sun already giving chase.

"I got him, you call for Snipe and Ex-Aid!" He instructed from over his shoulder.

"What, how do you…?" Blake began to question before Sun turned the corner following the patient, Blake moaning in exasperation as she made the call on her Game Scope.

* * *

Jaune let out a sigh as he stared at the brightly lit screen, an upbeat song playing from the speakers of the DoReMiFa Beat game cabinet in the CR. Sitting next to him was Ruby, the girl frantically trying to keep up with the games prompts while Jaune, only half paying attention, was nailing every single combo.

"Go Ruby Go! Go Ruby Go!" Poppy cheered from within the game, dancing happily to the beat of the song.

"Mmm… come on… just a little bit…" Ruby mumbled, her focus intensifying as she desperately tried to keep her score even with Jaune's. Unfortunately, one missed prompt at the hardest part of the song broke her combo and her composure, leading to a frantic attempt to catch up which only led to more misses.

" _Player 1 WINS! Better luck next time Player 2._ " The game announced at the last note of the song, much to Ruby's dismay.

"Sorry Ruby, that brings the score to 4 games to… 0." Poppy sadly informed, Ruby letting out a dejected sigh and slumping down onto the controls.

"Since when was pressing buttons so hard~?" She whined before slowly lifting her head back up. "Alright, best five out of nine!" Ruby declared as she selected another song, the computer patiently waiting for the other party to agree. "You ready Jaune… Jaune?" Ruby repeated, but Jaune didn't respond, his chin resting on his hand as he stared off into space. "Jaune!" Ruby shouted with a shake of the boy's shoulder, finally gaining his attention.

"Huh, what… oh yeah, right, let's do it." Jaune absentmindedly responded, pressing start and starting the game.

"You know, if you're going to keep mercilessly kicking my butt, the least you can do is pay attention while you're doing it." Ruby said in a faux offended tone.

"Right, sorry." Jaune apologized. "Thanks again for coming down here with me."

"Don't mention it, thanks for hanging out after my team flaked on me." Ruby reciprocated the appreciation as she narrowed her eyes to try and keep focused on hitting the prompts. "Still, is it really necessary to hide like this?"

"Hey, you saw those guys, they were ravenous! It's one thing to get swarmed by fans at a convention or something, but another when I'm trying to eat breakfast." Jaune insisted, earning an amused laugh from Ruby.

"Fair enough, but it's your own fault for being so… darn good at… video games!" Ruby stammered as she struggled to keep up with the song's increasing intensity.

"…Right, video games." Jaune said with a solemn tone that Ruby just barely managed to pick up on. She exchanged a worried look with Poppy but before anything could be said, Jaune's Game Scope rang, prompting him to pause the game and answer.

"Hello, this is the Cyber Rescue Center." Jaune answered the call in the professional manner he was instructed to. "…In Vale? …Alright, I'm on my way!" He said before hanging up.

"A Bugster?" Poppy deduced.

"Yeah, it hasn't broken out yet but the patient is seriously stressed." Jaune informed urgently.

"Well then we better get down there!" Ruby cried, grabbing Jaune by the wrist.

"Wait, Ruby, hold on…!" Jaune attempted to protest before Ruby used her semblance and sped them out of the CR.

"Wait for me!" Poppy pleaded, quickly transferring herself from the game cabinet to Ruby's scroll.

* * *

"Come on man, we're just trying to help you out here." Sun insisted to their irritated patient. Sun, Blake, and their patient were seated at an outdoor café, having dragged him to the location and the Faunus in question not having the energy to attempt an escape.

"I don't need any help from some sell out Huntsman, thank you very much." The patient said bitterly. "Look, you said I have some kind of disease right, so hurry up and cure me already so I can be on my way!" He demanded, smacking the table in anger.

"I told you already, we need to wait for a couple more specialists." Sun rebuked, only gaining an impatient sneer from the patient. "You wanna tap in?" Sun turned to Blake who seemed to be deep in thought.

The man's impatience and stubbornness made him dangerously stressed and she considered asking what could have caused it. Obviously he was in some sort of trouble if his desperate pleas for help in the bookstore were any indication, and the fact that he had recognized her made her pretty certain who he was in trouble with. However, if he truly did recognize her, she didn't want to encourage any more probing questions from her reluctant companion, and so she remained silent, in hopes that staying quite would keep the irritated Faunus from revealing anything troublesome. Blake was then brought out of her thoughts by a sudden gust of wind and rose petals.

"Sorry for the wait Blake!" Ruby apologized, holding up the two wrists she clenched in her hands. Jaune and Ren let out moans of dizziness, having been dragged all the way from the air ship station at Ruby's semblance induced speeds.

"…Please tell me these aren't the specialists." The patient deadpanned, Sun just shrugging his shoulders with an awkward smile.

"So… who's the patient?" Jaune said as he and Ren shook of their dizziness and stood back up.

"That would be Mr. Grumpy Horns over here." Sun said as he pointed at said Faunus with both his hands and tail, gaining an annoyed grunt from the patient.

"I see… and you are?" Ren inquired awkwardly.

"The name's Sun." The monkey Faunus replied with a friendly smile. Suddenly, he leaped onto and then over the table, landing right in front of the three new arrivals. "And I'm guessing… _you're_ Ex-Aid, and _you're_ Snipe." He said as he pointed to Jaune and Ren respectively, much to their surprise. "So, I guess that makes _you_ two Gamer Driver candidates, am I right?" Sun added, pointing at Ruby and then back at Blake, who were now as shocked and confused as the boys.

"W-what… how…?" Jaune stammered as he tried to wrap his head around how a total stranger knew about their closely guarded secret.

"Blake, you told him!?" Ruby accused.

"Of course not!" Blake denied, shooting out of her seat. "He already knew and then helped me restrain the patient." She explained.

"You knew about us, how?" Ren inquired curiously.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Sun said in sudden realization. His monkey tail then began sifting through his back pocket and eventually pulled out the familiar neon green frame of a Gamer Driver, the four CR members gasping in shock as he strapped the device around his waist. "Probably should've led with this, huh?"

"The third Gamer Driver." Ruby breathed with much reverence.

"You're… a Kamen Rider?" Jaune said in disbelief.

"You idiot, why didn't you say so sooner!?" Blake reprimanded.

"Sorry, how was I supposed to know you were in on the whole Bugster Virus thing?" Sun defended.

"And what about the forty-five minutes we've just been sitting here letting the virus fester?" Blake argued.

"Uh… well, the thing is…" Sun began, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"What the hell, you could've cured me yourself!?" The patient shouted, slamming his hands on the table as he heaved himself from his seat.

"Look, I'm sorry, it's just… it's complicated." Sun admitted.

"Complicated?" Ren said quizzically.

"Forget it, I'm done dealing with you freaks!" The patient declared before kicking over his chair and running off.

"Hey wait, but we can cure you now!" Sun insisted as he gave chase, followed shortly after by the rest of the CR crew.

The Faunus didn't get very far before his chest pains came back with a vengeance, forcing him to his knees. He let out a cry of agony as the black blisters overtook his body, transforming him into a Bugster Union in the shape of a spiked wheel, the axel housing the Grimm mask and glowing yellow eye.

"The Bugster is breaking out!" Blake exclaimed as the group made it on the scene.

"Alright, guess it's time for us to go to work then." Sun said with a confident smirk. He pulled out his Rider Gashat with his tail, twilling it on the end before grabbing it with his right hand and activating it.

" _Bakusou Bike!_ " The Gashat announced as its starting screen appeared behind Sun and a yellow game area spread, placing its own particular Energy Item containers all around.

"Racing Trophies?" Ren observed.

"Bakusou Bike _is_ a racing game after all." Ruby said.

"Not just any racing game, it's a racing game with no rules, you can do absolutely anything to win." Jaune added.

"Henshin!" Sun exclaimed with a dramatic spin on his heel.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name!_ " The Gamer Driver sang after Sun slid in the Gashat. The ring of avatars generated around him, the icons orbiting around before one was selected with a quick kick from Sun. " _I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The selected icon engulfed Sun in pixelated energy, transforming him into his Level 1 form, identical to Ex-Aid and Snipe with only a different head, which took the shape of a yellow and black biker helmet with a row of pink spikes bisecting it. Two handlebar-like protrusions were on either side of his head, and in his hand were two blasters with motorbike wheels attached.

"Ah, now I get it!" Poppy cried as she popped out of Ruby's scroll.

"Whoa, where did you come from?" Sun asked the unfamiliar girl.

"I think we better save the introductions for later." Ren said as he and Jaune strapped on their Gamer Drivers, then stepped forward and activated their own Gashats.

" _Mighty Action X!_ "

" _Bang Bang Shooting!_ "

" **Henshin!** " They both announced, placing their Gashats into their Drivers.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Driver sang as they transformed into their respective Level 1 forms.

"Alright! Things are really revving up now!" Sun exclaimed with an excited waving of his arms. The transformations seemed to have finally caught the attention of the Bugster Union as its glowing eye gazed down at them, its wheel-like body spinning in place and scrapping the ground underneath.

"Mission Start." Snipe said as he and Ex-Aid summoned their weapons. Snipe and Sun immediately began firing, the monster rolling from side to side in a seemingly futile attempt to avoid getting hit. However, Ex-Aid noticed that it only seemed to move when the blasts were getting particularly close to the axel, eventually turning so that the blasts could only hit the treads of the wheel.

"Look out!" Ex-Aid exclaimed before the Bugster Union began rolling towards them, the entire group dispersing to avoid getting flattened. "I'll keep its attention, you two just keep aiming for the axel, that's the weak spot!" Ex-Aid instructed before leaping on a series of chocolate blocks towards it.

"Understood." Snipe replied as he took aim.

"You got it!" Sun added as he took his position on the other side of the field across from Snipe.

Ex-Aid leapt off of a block and hit the wheel of the beast with his mallet, landing on the other side on another block. This made the creature turn its attention to the pink Rider, as well as literally turn its body, allowing Snipe and Sun a chance to fire at its weak spot from both sides. The Bugster Union wailed in pain before rolling out of the line of fire, only for Ex-Aid to leap over it, hit the B button on his weapon twice, and slam it down on its side, sending it falling to the ground.

"Time to finish this!" Ex-Aid declared as he tapped the B button three more times. He leaped up into the air and span as he fell to increase the power of his strike right at the axel, however the Bugster Union was far from done and began spinning violently on the ground. Just as Ex-Aid was about to bring the hammer down, the Bugster Union shot back up right, slamming the Rider out of the air and sending him flying into an oil drum, which broke open to reveal a purple Energy Item that depicted a Rider with starred eyes and question marks floating around its head.

" _Confusion!_ " The Game Area announced as the item fused into Ex-Aid, causing his body to glitch and numerous question mark graphics to pop up around him.

"Whoa, are you alright?" Sun said.

"Ugh… not good… not good at all…" Ex-Aid said as he began to stumble around, swinging the Gashacon Breaker randomly at nothing.

"What's wrong with him?" Blake asked.

"Uh, well you see, not all of the Energy Items are beneficial, some of them can actually be quite the…" Poppy paused to peak over at Ex-Aid hitting Sun with his mallet, the yellow Rider blocking with the wheel of his blaster, pleading him to stop. "…hindrance."

"What, why would they include an Energy Item like that!" Blake said incredulously.

"Well, Genm Corp always did stuff like that in their games." Ruby defended.

"It's fine in a game, but this is life or death…!" As Blake chastised the two quivering girls, the Bugster Union shifted its attention to the Rider that had caused it the most damage so far, Snipe. The wheel like monster began spinning at great speeds before darting off towards him. Snipe attempted to slow it down with a few blasts from his magnum, but in the end he was forced to roll out of the way. The Bugster Union skid to a stop and span towards him again, and then again, never letting Snipe get a good shot at it.

"…Oh, not good." Sun said as he noticed the predicament Snipe was in. "Sorry dude, duty calls." He said as he kicked the confused Ex-Aid away from him. No longer hindered, Sun broke open a nearby trophy and absorbed the revealed Energy Item.

" _Instigate!_ " As an orange aura flared around Sun the Bugster Union immediately ceased chasing Snipe and turned its attention to the third Rider.

"That's right, come and get it big guy." He taunted with his arms outstretched ready to receive it. The Bugster Union immediately obliged and approached at great speeds, but Sun was more than ready for it. The Rider leaped up, balanced himself on the wheel of one of his blasters and began spinning rapidly, getting faster and faster by the second until finally the two rotating attacks collided. They grinded against each other for a moment until Sun eventually overpowered the Union, the creature struggling to keep itself standing up right. Sun then leaped off of the wheel, did a flip in the air and landed right on the axel of the Bugster Union, jamming the barrels of his blasters into its eye and opening fire. The HIT graphics became GREATs as the monster let out an agonizing screech and then exploded in a blast of black pixels, Sun riding the shockwave and sticking the landing.

"…Ahh, look, they did it!" Ruby exclaimed, turning Blake's attention back to the battle. The left over pixels went on to form the Faunus patient and the Bugster that infected him. It had on a yellow, metallic suit and armor with splatters of blue paint on various areas, and on its back and shoulders was a short series of exhaust pipes. As per usual, the faceplate of the creature's helmet resembled the white and red Grimm masks, making the vague shape of a tortoise's head.

"Ugh… huh, that's… Motors!" Ex-Aid said as his confusion finally wore off.

"Sweet, it's the boss from my game!" Sun cheered at the realization.

"Err… COME ON BIKE!" The Motors Bugster shouted, causing a motorcycle to materialize next to it. "Heh, heh, how about we settle this with a race, huh?" It taunted before mounting the bike, revving the engine and driving off, nearly running over Ex-Aid and Snipe in the process.

"Hey, get back here!" Ex-Aid demanded.

"Alright, looks like it's finally time for me to get serious." Sun stepped forward, rolling his shoulders confidently before spinning on his heel and pulling the lever on his Gamer Driver. "Second Gear!"

" _Gatchan!_ _Level Up! Bakusou Dokusou Gekisou Bousou Bakusou Bike!_ " The Driver sang as Sun leaped onto an open road, riding on the wheels of his blasters. He passed by two other motorbikes before leaping off of a ramp, breaking out of his level 1 form to reveal the body of a yellow motorbike, his two blasters attaching to him as his wheels.

"Woo hoo, yeah!" Sun exclaimed excitedly as he landed on the ground and skid to a stop. The CR crew was silent for a moment before all letting out shocked cries at the Rider's new form.

" _That's_ his Level 2 form?" Ruby said with a point of her finger.

"A motorbike?" Ex-Aid echoed Ruby's disbelief.

"Yep, this here is Kamen Rider Lazer, because of the nature of his game he needs a partner in order to reach his full potential." Poppy explained.

"So that's why you had to wait for the others to show up?" Blake reasoned.

"We can save the apologies for later, right now we need to get on chasing that Bugster." Lazer said, his blue eyes flashing with each word.

"Ah, r-right. Dai-Henshin!" Ex-Aid shouted before pulling the lever.

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Mighty Jump, Mighty Kick, Mighty, Mighty Action X!"_

"Second Tactics!" Snipe announced as he did the same.

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Ba-Ba-Bang, Bang, Ba-Bang! Yow! Bang Bang Shooting!_ "

"Alright, one of you hop on up." Lazer instructed.

" _Shakariki Sports!_ " The Game Area announced as a green energy wave spread across the field.

"Another Game Area?" Blake said in confusion. A moment later a blur of green, pink, and black zoomed passed them, a ring of a bell bringing the Riders' attention to the strange sight of the Black Ex-Aid riding on a green and pink bicycle towards them. The Black Ex-Aid hefted himself up into the air with the bike, each wheel coated in a purple graphic energy before they collided with Ex-Aid and Snipe, sending them flying across the field.

"The Black Ex-Aid!" Poppy exclaimed as she hid behind Ruby and Blake.

"Not him again!" Ruby said as she shot the Rider an annoyed glare as he flipped in the air and landed the bike with ease.

"Ugh… Player Killer…M." Ex-Aid said as he forced himself back to his feet.

"Yo, it's been a while. I saw you guys on the server and figured I'd drop by to show off my new gear." The Black Ex-Aid said with a taunting ring of the bell.

"Seriously, you actually wanted to show off that gaudy ride of yours?" Lazer taunted back, gaining the Black Ex-Aid's attention.

"Hmph, typical casual." The dark gamer scoffed. "Functionality overrides aesthetic, observe." He then began pedaling towards Snipe and Ex-Aid, making a sharp turn that made the back wheel of the bicycle sweep Snipe off his feet. Ex-Aid attempted to retaliate but the doppelganger did a forward wheelie and smacked Ex-Aid in the head with the back wheel.

"Is he… beating them up with a bicycle?" Ruby said in disbelief.

"I really wish I could say he wasn't." Blake replied dryly.

"Uh, guys, you think you can wrap it up soon, we really gotta get going." Lazer said as he watched Snipe and Ex-Aid desperately fight off the unusually deadly cyclist. "…Ah whatever, guess I've got no choice." He lamented before revving his own engine and driving off after the Bugster.

It didn't take long to find the Motors Bugster, all Lazer having to do was follow the tire treads that it left behind. Eventually, he managed to get him in his line of sight and attempted with all of his might to keep up with him.

"Hey, wait for me… stop right there!" Lazer demanded.

"Heh, what a slowpoke!" The Motors Bugster said as he changed gears and drove off at a speed that Lazer couldn't hope to match on his own.

"Damn!" He cursed before he willed the lever on his Gamer Driver to close.

" _Gatchon!_ " With that Lazer's Level 1 armor materialized back over him, the Rider tumbling on the ground before removing his Gashat.

" _Gashun!_ " Sun did a quick front roll to safely stop himself, breathing heavily from all of the energy he had just exerted. He stood back up and stared bitterly down the road where the Motors Bugster could no longer be seen.

"Guess I really can't reach top speed without a partner huh?" He said as he gazed back down at his Gashat, officially feeling like he drew the short end of the stick.

" _Kimewaza!_ " The Kimewaza Slot Holder announced as the Black Ex-Aid hit its switch. Ex-Aid and Snipe tried their best to stand their ground, bringing up their weapons in order to defend. He then hit the switch a second time. " _Shakariki Critical Strike!_ " Spiraling graphic energy gathered on both the front and back wheel of the bicycle before the Black Ex-Aid pedaled forward and jumped into the air, he and the bike spinning as they ground into the two Riders. The attack broke through their defenses and they were sent flying back, rolling on the ground helplessly as their Rider Gauges warned them of the mere sliver of health they had left.

"Heh, guess I'll leave it at that for today, hope you're better prepared for a fight next time." The Black Ex-Aid stated before pedaling away.

"Wait!" Ex-Aid shouted bitterly, but was simply ignored. He let out a frustrated sigh before canceling his transformation, along with Snipe.

"Jaune, Ren, you guys ok?" Ruby asked as she and the others rushed to their aid.

"Forget about us… what about the patient?" Ren insisted, despite clearly being hurt.

"He's right over… AH, he's trying to escape again!" Poppy exclaimed as she pointed to the Faunus quickly limping away.

"Oh come on, really?!" Blake said in exasperation before the crew chased after him. The Faunus turned a corner only to run into Sun, who grabbed him by the arm.

"Nope, you're not going anywhere." Sun said, much to the patient's anger. However, said anger caused the game disease to flare up, robbing him of the energy to fight back.

* * *

"A motorbike?"

"A bicycle!?"

Back at the CR, Jaune called in the rest of Teams RWBY and JNPR and explained the situation to them all, and needless to say it left them with more questions than answers.

"Wait, so this guy's Level 2 form is seriously just a motorbike?" Yang repeated in a confused, and somewhat amused tone.

"How in the world could Player Killer M beat you both up with a bicycle!?" Weiss said her hands firmly placed on her hips like a scolding mother.

"In their defense, the dude could pop wheelies like it was nothing." Sun playfully defended, but backed off as soon as Weiss shot him an irate glare.

"You two are missing the point!" Ruby interjected. "Player Killer M was using two Gashats at once; Mighty Action X _and_ Shakariki Sports!"

"Hey, no fair, why does the bad guy get two Gashats?" Nora complained defiantly.

"Most likely for the same reason he even has a Gashat and Driver to begin with." Pyrrha suggested.

"You mean he stole it." Blake elaborated with crossed arms. That had in fact been the working theory for a while. After reporting the Black Ex-Aid's existence to the Genm Corporation they confirmed that the Gamer Driver that was used for testing had in fact been stolen, along with the Proto Mighty Action X Gashat, one of the original ten that were responsible for the events of Zero Day.

"Perhaps, but he said that it was new, so he must have obtained it recently." Ren deduced. "Do we really think he could manage to break into the Genm Corporation a second time when they should be on high alert?"

"Honestly I'm willing to believe anything at this point." Weiss sighed in exasperation. It was at that very moment that Poppy trotted up the stairs into the break room.

"The patient is stable for the moment, but the virus is rather dangerously far along." She informed them. "What's worse is that he's still really sour about the quarantine, if he wasn't so weak from the virus he probably would've made another break for it."

"He's been like that since we've found him; he just refuses to tell us anything." Blake said. "The only thing we've been able to get out of him was his name, Isaac Shepard."

"And that's just because he dropped his passport." Sun added.

"Well, maybe a more persistent interrogation is in order." Weiss suggested. "Even if we can't deal with the Bugster at the moment, if we find out what his stressor is, we can at least try to alleviate some of his stress to slow down the Bugster's progression." Her point was sound and an exchange to approving glances and shrugs prompted the group to make their way to the quarantine room, all accept for Sun who was stopped by a hand held up by Weiss. "CR members only."

"Huh, aw come on, I can help!" Sun insisted.

"Honestly you shouldn't even be here, you may be a Kamen Rider, but until we get the ok from Professor Ozpin you're still an outsider as far as we're concerned." Weiss sternly explained.

"Who died and made you queen of the CR?" Yang said.

"I'm simply saying we should air on the side of caution." Weiss stated. "We already know of one unsanctioned Kamen Rider, for all we know you could just be some sticky fingered Faunus taking the Gamer Driver for a joy ride." Weiss accused, an uneasy air suddenly filling the CR. It wasn't an invalid argument, if a truly sanctioned Rider was coming to the CR then certainly Ozpin would have known and informed them all, so Sun showing up out of the blue was certainly cause for suspicion. However, the careless inclusion of the boy's species in Weiss' argument suddenly made the issue about whether or not the group was willing to trust a Faunus, making it rather difficult to come forward with their own suspicions, regardless of whether they were valid or not. However, feeling the tension in the air, Sun let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine, fine, I get it." He conceded with a casual wave of his hands. "You guys go do your thing, I'll just… wait out here." He said as he sat down at the table and made himself comfortable.

"Excellent, now let's just hope the _other_ Faunus in our care is just as compliant." Weiss said haughtily as she left for the quarantine room, passing a rather sour looking Blake. The rest of the CR crew gave Sun their own apologetic nods and glances before following their comrade. The moment Weiss walked through the automatic doors the relatively calm patient sprang to life, eyes wide in shock and confusion.

"Weiss Schnee, what are you doing here?!" He said, scooting up into a sitting position on his bed.

"I happen to be a member of the Cyber Rescue Center, otherwise known as one of the people tirelessly working to save your life." Weiss replied condescendingly before anyone could stop her. Isaac scoffed.

"A Schnee, trying to save _my_ life, don't make me laugh." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Wha-How dare you, you ungrateful…!"

"Uh, I think _we'd_ better take it from here, Weiss." Pyrrha said with a calming hand on her shoulder, the young heiress huffing off to the side while Pyrrha stepped forward.

"Pyrrha Nikos too, so what my hospital bed is some sort of celebrity hot spot now?" Isaac spat, though Pyrrha retained her polite smile.

"Not quite sir, I am also a member of the Cyber Rescue Center, we all are, and we truly do only have your best interests at heart." She insisted in the friendly, calming tone honed by years of being in the public eye.

"Then I guess that makes one of us." Isaac said as he turned his head away from the group. "…I honestly couldn't care less what happens to me right now." He admitted somberly, surprising the CR crew.

"That's… what an awful thing to say." Pyrrha stated.

"Yeah well it's the truth!" He snapped back, making Pyrrha flinch slightly. "I shouldn't be here waiting to be treated for some stupid sickness by a bunch of kids! I should be out there looking for my…" He stopped himself just as the stress made the Bugster Virus flare, giving him the perfect excuse to go quiet again. The crew all exchanged worried glances, unsure of how to press for more details, but eventually it was Ren that stepped forward.

"Mr. Shepard, we understand that you are in some kind of trouble, and that your own well being may be the farthest thing from your mind at the moment, but the truth is your sickness can harm much more than just your own health." He began, piquing Isaac's interest as he looked back over to the group.

"So what, I'm contagious or something?" He inquired.

"It's not quite that simple." Ren replied. "Do you remember the creature that drove off after you regained consciousness?" Isaac nodded his confirmation. "Well, that creature came from inside of you, I suppose you could call it a personification of your sickness."

"What… the hell kind of sickness do I have?" He demanded, for the first time showing any sort of concern for his ailment.

"It's called the Bugster Virus, and the short of it is that you and that monster are connected." Yang interjected, clearly impatient. "The more stressed you are, the weaker you get, and the stronger the Bugster becomes."

"And if it isn't taken care of soon, you'll completely disappear and the Bugster will be free to hurt countless other innocent people." Ruby elaborated further.

"And the Bugster knows this too, so it's willing to do anything, hurt any _one_ , to make sure your stress goes through the roof." Jaune added, Isaac's panicked look making it seem that they were finally getting through to him.

"You don't have to tell us everything, but if you can at least tell us what's causing you so much stress, maybe we can help alleviate it." Pyrrha suggested. "We can help you find whatever or whoever it is you are looking so desperately for, and it'll all be part of your treatment, so please, let us help you." She pleaded one final time.

Isaac remained apprehensive, looking over the various concerned or aggravated faces of the CR crew, until his gaze fell on Blake, standing isolated from the others by the door, stirring a bit under his suspicious glare. However, he eventually sighed in defeat.

"Fine, if it'll get me out of here faster." He said, much to the CR crew's relief. "…I have a little sister, Mary. She's an eight-year-old sheep Faunus, and we were supposed to move to Vacuo tomorrow night, get a fresh start and all that. But last night… she was kidnapped." He admitted.

"Kidnapped!?" Nora exclaimed, expressing the entire crew's shock and concern.

"Any idea by who?" Jaune inquired.

"…It was the White Fang." Isaac revealed, furthering the young Huntsmen's shock.

"The White Fang!?" Nora parroted once again.

"That fanatical Faunus rights group?" Yang asked for clarification.

"Call them what they are Yang, _terrorists_." Weiss spoke up with her arms crossed sternly and a hateful look in her eye.

"Everything we did was done for the sake of securing the rights and respect all Faunus kind deserves, anyone harmed in the process brought it upon themselves for denying us what we were promised!" Isaac snapped, aiming the tirade directly at the young heiress.

"...We?" Pyrrha caught the crucial pronoun, rearing the Faunus back to address her.

"Yeah, that's right, _we_ , as in my White Fang brothers and I." He said, not an ounce of shame in his voice. The entire CR crew was visibly shaken by the declaration, Pyrrha even taking a reflexive step back. "Am I safe in assuming that treatment of yours is now off the table?" He asked bitterly.

"What? N-no, it's not like that!" Pyrrha quickly denied.

"It isn't?!" Weiss said incredulously.

" _Of course_ it isn't." Blake finally spoke up, meeting Weiss's gaze with a stern one of her own as she stepped out from her corner. "We're all just a bit confused, after all why would the White Fang kidnap a Faunus relative of one of their own members?" She argued, most likely in an attempt to defuse the situation. Regardless, it was a valid inquiry, and yet Isaac seemed almost confused by the question, raising an eyebrow and eyeing Blake rather suspiciously.

"…Hey, you said before that you all were part of this Cyber Rescue thing, would you all also happen to be students at Beacon?" He asked Pyrrha.

"Um…" Pyrrha hesitated, looking to Jaune as if asking permission, but only received an uncertain shrug of his shoulders. "Yes, we are." She answered regardless, and no sooner did Isaac return his attention to Blake, a nervous bead of sweat betraying her otherwise composed demeanor.

"Alright then… anyway, the reason Mary was kidnapped is because of my recent attempts to cut my ties with the White Fang." He continued his explanation.

"You mean you quit?" Jaune said.

"Tried to anyway, but that loyalty oath is no joke, you go in intending to be in for life, at least that was _my_ intention." He explained.

"So why did you quit?" Blake asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.

"…My parents passed away last week." He revealed with some difficulty. "And with no other family to speak of, I'm the only one left who can take care of my sister, so I obviously no longer have the luxury of being willing to lay down my life for the White Fang's cause." He explained, clearly somewhat regretful. "I honestly don't know how they found out, I was quite as a mouse, I was just going to get on the next airship to Vacuo and leave without a word."

"So they kidnapped your sister so you wouldn't leave? Quite a lot of trouble to go through just to keep one grunt around." Weiss said patronizingly.

"Weiss, stop it!" Ruby pleaded with her partner.

"Well we're not exactly in the kingdoms' good graces now are we?! In an underground organization like ours even the tiniest of leaks could be disastrous, so yes, one grunt leaving is cause for alarm!" Isaac barked back.

"Unbelievable, they kidnapped your sister and yet you still defend them, is your psychopathic cult really more important than your own flesh and blood sister?" Weiss accused.

" **WEISS!** " The entire CR crew exclaimed at the outlandish claim, though it did little to sway either the haughty heiress or the enraged Faunus.

"YOU BITCH!" He roared as he nearly leaped out of his bed, stopped only by his Bugster Virus flaring up, causing him to become a painfully writhing mess on his bed as the instruments blared an alarm that he was in danger.

"M-Mr. Shepard, please calm down, your stress is…" Pyrrha was cut off by Isaac shoving her back, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, eventually succeeding in silencing the alarm.

"…I don't care what you people think of me, you can throw me in prison after this is all over for all I care, but if you were serious about relieving my stress for my "treatment" or whatever, then please… please just help Mary." He pleaded, glaring down at his lap, refusing to meet the various gazes of the CR crew. "She's just a little girl, she doesn't even really understand what the White Fang is, let alone that her big brother was a member…" His hands tightened into fists before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and handed it to Pyrrha.

"This is the note I found in her room after she was taken, it told me to report to one of the bases in Vale to confirm that she's alive and that I'd receive further instructions there. I was planning on gathering some muscle to help me spring her but… guess I'll just leave it to you guys." Pyrrha reached out to take it, but seemed hesitant.

"Are… you sure about this, about selling out your "brothers"?" She asked delicately, only for Isaac to place the note in her hand and roll over in his bed.

"…The Schnee was right, the White Fang stopped being my brothers when they tried to hurt my real family." He said just barely above a whisper. It was obvious that they weren't going to get anything else out of him, so with a loud huff Weiss turned on her heal and left the room, followed closely after by a perturbed looking Blake and then the rest of the crew.

"What was that all about!?" Blake demanded to Weiss out in the hallway.

"What was what about?" Weiss replied.

"All those awful things you said in there!" Blake clarified.

"What, you mean the truth?" Weiss asserted.

"Your "truth" could have killed him!" Blake rebuked.

"Well it's not _my_ fault he still identifies with those savages in the White Fang." Weiss defended, just adding fuel to the fire.

"Ugh, you ignorant little…" Blake began before Yang came between them.

"Alright, break it up you two, this isn't the time to be arguing." She insisted, eyeing them both.

"Weiss, I'm sure we all have mixed feelings about Mr. Shepard, but this isn't just about saving a single person's life." Ren said.

"Yeah, this is just as much about defeating the Bugster as it is about saving a White Fang member's life." Jaune added.

"Ex-White Fang member." Nora chimed in with the small correction.

"Not to mention his sister." Ruby reminded. "That poor little girl, she must be terrified." She said with a deep, sincere concern that the entire crew could agree with, even Weiss.

"…Look, it doesn't matter any more, we have what we need, so let's just…" Weiss's argument was cut off when the sound of multiple boots marching into the CR echoed down from the stairway.

"Freeze, put your hands in the air!" An unfamiliar voice commanded. The crew climbed the stairs one by one and came upon the scene of four Beacon security officers all pointing rifles at a very distressed looking Sun. Leading the apparent arrest was Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch, the former looking much more stern and commanding than usual.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, I have permission to be here, I swear!" Sun defended as he raised his hands into the air as instructed.

"Well, that permission has officially been revoked." Glynda stated, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Professor Ozpin, what's going on?" Jaune asked.

"After you informed us of the appearance of another Kamen Rider we contacted the Mistral council to confirm Mr. Wukong's identity. As it turns out, the two Gamer Drivers that were being shipped to Mistral were in fact stolen not two nights ago, during a White Fang raid of the Mistral docks no less." Ozpin explained, never taking his eyes off the Faunus in question.

"What!?" Jaune exclaimed

"White Fang?" Ren said as he and the entire CR crew turned their shocked gazes to Sun.

"Uhhh…" The blonde monkey Faunus struggled for a rebuttal.

"I _knew_ it, I knew you couldn't be trusted!" Weiss shouted, stepping out from the crowd of astonished students.

"W-wait, I know this looks bad, but I can explain!" Sun insisted pleadingly.

"You'll have plenty of time to explain during your interrogation." One of the guards said. "Now, get on the ground, and keep you're hands where I can see them!" He ordered, taking a step forward with his eye gazing at him through the scope of his rifle.

Sun took a nervous step back, only to pin himself against the wall. He glanced back at the CR crew, some with shocked and hurt expressions, others with more cold and condemning glares. The Faunus boy darted his eyes between his fellow teens and the guards looking to arrest him, as if searching for a way out, when suddenly he turned his gaze to the ceiling, lingering there as his expression suddenly turned to one of confusion and curiosity. The entire assembly followed his gaze, only to see an empty ceiling… and feel the light of a semblance being activated. Suddenly, the four guards were tackled by four transparent figures made of yellow light, all closely resembling Sun. The moment their attention was diverted, the original slid across the table made a break for the door.

"Catch you guys later!" Sun said as he dashed through the doorway, just barely avoiding a few shots from the guards.

"H-hey, wait!" Jaune called out just a moment too late.

"After him!" Professor Goodwitch ordered, the guards immediately complying and charging after the monkey Faunus and out of the CR.

"Well then, how is the patient doing?" Ozpin casually asked the students, as if none of the previous struggle had happened. The crew all exchanged befuddled and concerned glances with each other, all accept for Blake, who looked to the ground thoughtfully, trying her hardest to make heads or tails of this latest development.

* * *

Deep within the industrial district of Vale, in a factory long since abandoned and sealed off, the frightened whimpering of a small child could be heard echoing throughout the relatively empty facility. In the storage room in the basement, a young girl was chained to a support beam, a piece of tape draped over her mouth to keep her cries from being completely audible. Regardless, the small whimpers she made as she cried her eyes out still managed to get on the nerves of the man tasked with keeping an eye on her.

"Oh will you shut _up_ already!" The man pleaded in annoyance as he kicked the support beam right above the girl's head, gaining one last frightened cry before she tried her hardest to remain silent, her eyes moving to the floor and her lamb like ears drooping at the sides of her face.

The irritated man was dressed in a flashy white coat and sporting a stylish, if not a bit gaudy, hairdo with his long orange bangs being swept to the right side of his face, the rest of his hair hidden under a black bowler hat. He let out an annoyed sigh before turning to a holographic projection that was just about the only light illuminating the room.

"Remind me again why I have to babysit this brat?" He asked the hologram, a tall and imposing figure dressed in a black trench coat, his eyes obscured by a white and red Grimm mask. "You're planning on killing her anyway right, so why not just get it over with and show Mr. Big Brother the corpse once he shows up?" He suggested as he pointed the end of the cane he held at the girl's head, the base popping out to reveal the barrel of a gun that the girl starred at in horror. "That ought to be ample enough punishment for the would be snitch before we slaughter him, wouldn't you agree?"

"You may relish the thought of killing a young Faunus Torchwick, but I do not." The man replied sternly, deflating the man called Torchwick's playful attitude. "But sacrifices must me made for the greater good of all Faunus kind, and this girl's death serves a much larger purpose than to punish a single traitor."

"Does it now?" Torchwick replied sarcastically.

"My followers need to know the price for treason; the Faunus must remain united if we are to accomplish our goals, and so they must understand that those who do not stand with us deserve the same fate as those who stand against us, and that any cause they champion over the revolution _can_ and _will_ be crushed." He said ominously, Torchwick simply letting out a curious hum.

"…Alright, if you say so, this is your show Adam Taurus, Roman Torchwick is just here to lend a hand." Torchwick said whimsically that showed how little respect he had for the young Faunus revolutionary.

"Just let me know when the traitor arrives, if this girl's safety was enough to get him to abandon the cause, then it shouldn't be much longer." Adam instructed before the hologram disappeared.

"Aye aye, you filthy savage." Torchwick scornfully replied under his breath before turning his attention back to the frightened little girl. "Well you heard him kid, it's nothing personal." He taunted, the girl only able to whimper in response.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad, there are dozens of filthy animals in this very building that would love the chance to be a martyr for your cause, you should be _honored_." He taunted further, clearly enjoying the pained expressions of the child that couldn't wrap her head around anything the older man said. What she did know was that she was going to die, and the though made her revert to sobbing. Torchwick let out another annoyed sigh. "That goat better get here soon, don't know how much more of this kid I can take." He complained as he sat down on a crate, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Just when he was about to lose his patience, he heard a racket coming from above. He heard the muffled sounds of White Fang soldiers barking orders to each other and firing at what he could only suspect was some kind of intruder. However, eventually he also caught the sounds of defeat, of cries of pain and agony that were snuffed out the instant they passed the walls down to his ears.

"What the…?" Torchwick wondered as he approached the staircase to the ground floor. Suddenly, one of the White Fang soldiers burst through the door, his armor dented and uniform tattered, as well as the part of his face not obscured by a mask bruised and bloody.

"Torchwick sir, we have a problem!" He exclaimed frantically.

"What's going on up there, a police raid? I thought you animals said this place was a secret!" Torchwick berated the Faunus.

"No sir, it's not the police, it's…" The Faunus was interrupted by another identically dressed grunt bursting through the wall along with a blast flames. The grunt flailed on the ground for a moment before fading away in a mist of pixels, much to the two criminals' shock. "…S-stay back!" The White Fang grunt pleaded, pointing his saber at an unseen foe. Suddenly, the grunt was slugged square in the jaw with a fist engulfed in what seemed to be purple flames, the punch sending him flying back before he faded away in midair just as his comrade did.

"Heh~, we're at the boss room already? What a boring dungeon." The intruder, none other than the Bugster commander Pallad, groaned in disappointment as he shook the wrist of the fist he just punched with.

"…W-what the hell's going on, you a Huntsmen or something!?" Torchwick demanded as he aimed his cane-gun at the oddly dressed teen. Pallad simply flashed the criminal an amused smile as Graphite, wielding a double bladed pole arm made out of bone, and the newly created Motors Bugster walked through the hole in the wall to join their comrade.

"Nope, that's wrong. I may look like this, but I'm actually the same as these guys." Pallad playfully corrected, patting the shoulders of his fellow Bugsters as the three of them all seemed to glitch together, as if to get the point across.

"The hell…" Torchwick breathed in disbelief.

"So, is that brat over there the one we're looking for?" Graphite questioned as he pointed his weapon at the chained up Faunus girl.

"Yep, that's her, let's hurry up and grab her!" The Motors Bugster replied with clear impatience.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, now hold on there fellas." Torchwick said as he casually lowered his weapon. "As much as I'd _love_ to get this little twerp off my hands, I got orders you see, and I'd really rather not get chewed out by my employers so…" He then re-aimed his weapon and shot an explosive flare at the trio of Bugsters, a smug look on his as he assumed he caught them off guard. However, once the flare detonated, a blue MISS icon appeared where Graphite had been struck, the Bugster himself left completely unharmed, having not so much as flinched. Torchwick's eyes widened in shock, to think that a blast that could shatter rock did absolutely nothing to them, even with aura there should have been some knockback.

"If it's a fight you want," Graphite spoke as he stepped forward, brandishing his "Graphite Fang". "Then I'll be your opponent!" With that declaration he leaped into the air over the stairs, bringing down his weapon that was just narrowly evaded by Torchwick shuffling back.

Torchwick attempted to land an overhead strike with his cane, but the attack was blocked by Graphite's own weapon. Torchwick's weapon lightly bounced off the bone like blade and he quickly went for a swing to the creature's ribs, only for the opposite blade of the Graphite Fang to block it just as easily. That blade then shot up, threatening to slice Torchwick in two, but the criminal leaned back just enough for the blade to only slice through a hair or two. However, this created an opening that Graphite took full advantage of, landing a spinning back kick to Torchwick's chest that sent him flying into a pile of used crates. The Motors Bugster let out an obnoxious laugh at Roman's expense, the man angrily bursting out of the pile and firing three consecutive blasts from his cane. With a skillful twirl of his pole arm, Graphite effortlessly blocked the three flares, detonating all around him and causing the Faunus girl to flinch in surprise.

"Dragon Fang of Rage!" Graphite announced as his weapon charged with red lighting. Roman could feel the power from all across the room and so with a quick swear under his breath he increased the intensity of the dust flares in his cane and aimed it with both hands and a firm stance to open fire. Graphite used his Fang to draw in X in the air, hanging with a red ominous glow before he thrusted it at his opponent, Roman pulling the trigger and firing one large flare to meet the projectile halfway. Unfortunately, the flare was overtaken and the electric blast traveled across the room and sent Roman slamming into the wall, his aura shattering the moment he made contact with the blast.

"Stage Clear." Pallad said playfully, leaning on the railing of the staircase as Graphite marched over to his downed opponent.

Roman struggled desperately to his feet, the shock from his aura being broken all at once greatly disorienting him. Just when he managed to stand Graphite grabbed him by the throat and raised him into the air, readying his Graphite Fang for the finishing blow. However, as he saw Roman flailing in his grip, struggling to breath and tears filling his eyes, he only scoffed.

"You're not even worth killing." Graphite spat before ramming his head into Roman's, knocking him out before tossing him to the side.

"For someone who claims to want to lead humanity into extinction you're quite picky about who you kill." Pallad said as he and Motors descended the staircase.

"Slaughtering mooks and decisive combat are two different things." Graphite answered simply, resting his pole arm on his shoulder and reproaching his comrade.

"Come on, let's get going already!" Motors complained as he rushed over to the Faunus girl and snapped the chains holding her to the support beam. The moment she was free the girl attempted to make a break for the stairs, letting out a muffled shriek as Graphite grabbed her by the arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" The Bugster asked darkly as her raised the girl up to eye level. "You're important for our comrade's completion so we can't have you running off just yet." He continued, his grip tightening causing the girl to begin crying again.

"Hey, hey, that's enough Graphite." Pallad said as he placed his hand on Graphite's shoulder. "She can't possibly stand up to us so there's no point in needlessly terrifying her like that." He argued, his smile never leaving his face.

"But…"

"It's fine, just let her down." Pallad insisted with his typical friendly tone. Graphite groaned in annoyance but did as he was told, releasing his grip and letting the Faunus fall to the ground. She whimpered as she hugged her knees, to frightened to make another escape attempt.

"It's ok, we're not going to hurt you." Pallad assured as he kneeled down next to her. She flinched a little as he reached out to her, gently pulling the tape off of her mouth. "Say, what's you're name?" Pallad asked, his voice and smile showing no hint of malice.

"…M-Mary." She responded through her whimpering.

"Mary huh? I'm Pallad, and these are my friends Graphite, and Motors." Pallad introduced. "Sorry if we scared you, but we need you to come with us."

"I… I want to go home." Mary said as tears threatened to spill from her eyes again.

"I know, but it's going to be a little while longer before the people who are looking for you can take you back to your brother, until then you're gonna have to wait with us." Pallad explained, though it didn't seem to sway Mary.

"No, no, I want to go home now, I want to see my big brother!" She cried, Graphite growling irritably, but Pallad remained smiling.

"Hey Mary, do you like video games?" Pallad asked, Mary ceasing her crying to look at him and give a slight nod of approval. "Well you know, I really like video games to, take a look." Pallad pulled out a Play Pad that was running Mighty Action X, the girl's face lighting up for a brief moment. "So what do you say, want to play with me while we wait for your brother to come?" He offered with a bright smile. Mary seemed hesitant, but eventually she wiped away her tears and nodded. "Alright, come on then." Pallad rose to his feet and offered Mary his hand. She took it and Pallad pulled her to her feet before they both teleported away in a flash of purple data.

"Uhh… what was that all about?" Motors said quizzically.

"Hmph, that guy sure is strange." Graphite said before teleporting away, followed soon after by Motors.

* * *

"What do you mean she wasn't there!?" Isaac exclaimed, practically leaping out of his bed. It was the following morning and Professor Ozpin had the unfortunate pleasure of informing the patient about the results of their search.

"It's just as we said Mr. Shepard, we sent a swat team to the location specified in the note and found the place abandoned." Ozpin explained.

"But… but then…" Isaac trailed off as his Bugster Virus flared up, sending him flailing on his bed while Poppy attempted to stabilize him. "Mary… where are you?" He choked through his pain.

Through the window in the break room, Jaune watched as their patient suffered, both physically and emotionally, from the news of his now missing sister. He ran a hand through his blond locks as he let out a regretful sigh, perfectly illustrating the mood of the entire CR crew.

"Great, now we're back to square one." Ruby complained, resting her cheek on her fist as she sat at the table.

"No, square one was when we at least had an idea of where Mary was, this is square zero." Yang corrected bitterly, much to Ruby's own despair.

"You know why this happened, don't you?" Weiss inquired.

"Because we have rotten luck?" Nora said, slumping and spinning on a chair.

"No, it's because of that monkey tailed… _rapscallion_!" Weiss declared.

"Sun?" Ren said quizzically.

"It's possible." Pyrrha admitted. "If he really is a member of the White Fang, than he could have warned the hideout that the authorities would be coming, giving them a chance to escape."

"Precisely, at least _somebody_ here has a good head on their shoulders." Weiss said with a haughty smile.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you were right and we were wrong, you don't have to keep rubbing it in." Yang complained in exasperation, Weiss just huffing in response.

"And it doesn't even matter anymore, what's done is done, right now we just need to focus on how we're going to help Mr. Shepard." Pyrrha insisted, making Weiss back down.

"And that means defeating the Bugster." Ren concluded.

"That sure isn't gonna be easy." Jaune stated.

"What do you mean?" Yang inquired.

"The Bugster is the final boss from Bakusou Bike, it doesn't want to fight, it wants to race." Ruby explained.

"Who cares what it wants, just knock him off his bike and kick his but!" Nora exclaimed, letting loose some haphazard kicks as she spun in her chair.

"I doubt we could keep up with him long enough to do much of anything to him, that motorcycle is simply too fast." Ren lamented, stepping out of Nora's kicking radius.

"Well hey, if it's about speed, then why don't we just use my Bumblebee!" Yang suggested as she stood from her seat.

"Bumblebee?" Jaune said quizzically.

"Oh yeah, Yang has a motorcycle, she could totally race Motors!" Ruby realized, Yang basking the praise of her sister.

"It's not that simple." Jaune stated. "Bakusou Bike is a game that encourages tripping up your opponent; making them crash, putting obstacles in their way, even straight up attacking them."

"Hmm… and since I'm not a Kamen Rider," Yang began.

"You won't be able to even touch him," Ruby continued, slumping back down in her chair.

"And that would put you at a sever disadvantage." Pyrrha finished, immediately deflating Yang's drive.

"Terrific, so we really do need Sun after all." Yang concluded.

"…What we need is the power of Lazer." Blake spoke up, the crew turning their attention to her.

"Uh, _yeah_ , and Sun is Lazer, haven't you been paying attention?" Yang quipped.

"…No, she means we just need the power of the Bakusou Bike Gashat." Weiss said, Blake nodding her confirmation. "All we have to do is find that miserable thief, arrest him, and confiscate his Gashat, then these two can use it to defeat the Bugster." She relayed the plan to the crew, who mulled it over for a moment.

"It… _could_ work." Pyrrha admitted.

"I for one would _love_ to see Ren turn into a motorcycle!" Nora cheered.

"Me?" Ren responded in an objective tone.

"No arguments here." Yang assured.

"Then it's settled, let's head down to Vale and start searching!" Ruby declared, the CR crew voicing their approval, all save for two, who remained in silent contemplation as the rest of the CR crew flooded out of the room.

Jaune peaked over to Blake, who only leaned against the back wall with a thoughtful look on her face, refusing to meet Jaune's gaze. When it was clear that he wasn't going to leave, Blake made for the door.

"…Uh, Blake, could you wait up a second?" Jaune finally gathered the nerve to ask. Out of all of the members of Team RWBY, Blake was the one he had the least interaction with, making him more than a little awkward when speaking to her directly. Regardless, Blake headed to his request.

"What is it Jaune?" Blake asked in a tone that made it incredibly difficult to discern her mood, yet another reason he didn't do well talking with her.

"Well, I was just wondering… what do _you_ think about all of this?" Jaune awkwardly asked.

"About what exactly?" Blake said with just the slightest bit of interest.

"You know, about Sun, and the White Fang." Jaune clarified.

"…What makes you think I would have any insight on the matter?" Blake asked almost defensively, crossing her arms and giving him her full attention.

"Well, I know it's not much, but you've known him the longest, you're the one who found him, right?" It wasn't obvious, but Blake relaxed a bit at his reasoning. "So, what do you think?" Jaune repeated the question, Blake taking a moment to think about how to best word her answer.

"…Well, he obviously doesn't have any qualms about breaking the law, but if you're asking me if I believe that Sun's really part of the White Fang, then no, I don't." Blake admitted.

"What makes you think so?" Jaune pressed.

"Obviously the evidence is stacked against him, but you saw how fanatical Isaac was, and he's just a former member. With that in mind, I don't think a White Fang spy would bother feigning ignorance like Sun did when their cover was blown." Blake argued.

"Hmm… yeah, I guess that makes sense." Jaune said sounding more than a little relieved.

"You don't think we should turn him in, do you?" Blake bluntly accused, Jaune flinching before sighing in defeat.

"Am I that obvious?"

"You wouldn't have asked if you didn't have doubts yourself." Blake reasoned.

"I wouldn't say I have doubts per say, I just... I just feel like we should give him the benefit of the doubt, you know?" Jaune said.

"Even if it puts the patient's life in danger?" Blake replied, but didn't seem wholly invested in the counter.

"Yeah, it's stupid, I know, but…"

"I didn't say that." Blake interrupted, Jaune looking back up to see the smallest of supportive smiles on her face. "You're skill and insight have been invaluable to us in this war against the Bugsters, so I'm willing to trust your judgment." She assured him.

"Wow, uh… thanks Blake." Jaune returned an appreciative smile on his.

"No need, I'm sure the others would say the same." Blake rebuked the polite gesture. "We better get going though, if you're really intent on giving Sun a chance, we'll have to find him before the others do." She added as she made for the door.

"Right." Jaune affirmed as he followed.

* * *

"Still though, where do we even start looking?" Jaune wondered as he and Blake left Beacon's main hall and approached the courtyard.

"I'm not sure, he's had the whole night to run, he could be anywhere by now." Blake bemoaned, crossing her arms contemplatively. Suddenly, Jaune let out a quiet yelp as he felt something hit his head, Blake breaking away from her thoughts just in time to catch the projectile as it rolled off Jaune's head.

"A banana?" Jaune said quizzically as he rubbed his head.

"No, don't tell me…." Blake said with bitter realization as she and Jaune turned their gazes upward, only to be met with a familiar head of spikey blonde hair peaking over the edge of the roof. Sun gave them a tentative wave before retreating back out of sight, offering a beckoning wave of his hand.

Blake heaved an annoyed sigh before she and Jaune reentered the building and made their way to the roof, opening the door to reveal Sun nonchalantly reclining on an air vent and nibbling on yet another banana.

"Is Beacon security really that terrible?" Blake quipped dryly as Jaune closed the door behind them.

"Nah, I'm just that good, best place to hide from someone is right under their nose, am I right?" Sun replied, flashing Blake a knowing smirk and a playful wink.

"…I've changed my mind, we're turning him in." She stated as she got her scroll out and began dialing. Both Jaune and Sun began freaking out at the declaration, Sun falling from his perch and frantically returning to his feet.

"Ok, ok, ok, just hold a second!" He pleaded, Blake refraining from hitting any more keys to meet his desperate gaze. "Look, I know things look really bad, but I swear I'm not with the White Fang!" He asserted.

"Then how did you get your Gamer Driver?" Jaune questioned in Blake's stead.

"Well… ok, so it's true that the White Fang stole the Gamer Driver from the docks, but I just happened to be there when it went down." Sun explained.

"You just _happened_ to be there?" Blake said with suspicion.

" _Yes_ , I swear! Coincidences happen you know!" Sun defended. "Anyway, I tailed them back to their hideout hoping to sick the cops on them, but then I saw them unpack the Gamer Driver. I couldn't just leave something like that in the hands of those creeps so I snatched it from them, that's _it_." He finished his explanation.

"So in the end you still stole it?" Blake accused, taking the wind out of Sun's sails.

"Well... yeah, but I stole it for the good guys, that's gotta count for something, right?" Sun replied.

"It would have, if you had turned it in to the authorities, but why did you keep it for yourself?" Blake interrogated further, Sun pausing to think of an answer. "And how did you even know what it was in the first place, or about the Bugsters, or about _us_?" Sun shied away from the bombardment of questions, Blake letting out a sigh as she realized her harshness.

"Sun, I really do want to believe you, but you have to tell us the _whole_ truth." She stated sternly, though it seemed to make Sun much less reluctant to answer.

"Alright, that's fair." Sun admitted. He took a deep breath and then spoke. "Five years ago, there was a Bugster Virus outbreak in my hometown in Vacuo."

"…Five years ago?" Blake repeated.

"You mean one of the outbreaks connected to Zero Day?" Jaune suggested.

"I guess, all I know is that a lot of people got sick, including a friend of mine… he didn't make it." Sun solemnly admitted, Jaune and Blake's suspicion momentarily replaced with sympathy. "I took a look at his charts when nobody was looking, that's how I know what really happened to him, and ever since I've sort of kept an eye out for any info about the Bugsters. And last month, I saw this." Sun pulled out his scroll and showed a hastily taken picture of Ex-Aid battling the Salty Bugster.

"Hey, that's when I fought as Ex-Aid for the first time!" Jaune said in disbelief.

"I thought the kingdoms had covered that up." Blake stated.

"They did, but sleazy, unreliable gossip sites like this tend to slip through the cracks." Sun explained.

"So that's how you knew about the Gamer Driver." Jaune realized.

"Exactly!"

"So you took it so you could avenge your friend?" Blake said, in a badly hidden accusing tone.

"I took it because I wanted to help." Sun corrected. "Because I didn't want what happened to my friend to happen to anyone else, to just die and have what happened to them swept under the rug by the kingdoms. I know what I did was wrong; so let me make up for it by lending you guys hand. Please, just give me chance." He pleaded with his head bowed and hands clasped.

Blake was reluctant, he certainly didn't seem to be lying, but then again she had come across some _very_ good liars in her day, and needless to say that it left her with some trust issues. Time was of the essence however, and there was still the matter of his knowledge of the CR crew to explain.

"Alright, we'll give you a shot." Jaune said, bringing an abrupt end to the interrogation.

"Wait, seriously?" Sun said with a shocked expression that matched Blake's. "So you believe me?"

"Well, I don't think you're lying, but until you can give us some proof I'm only just choosing to trust you." Jaune replied.

"Really, why?" Sun asked curiously.

"You were able to wrap up the fight with the Bugster Union even after I was taken out of commission." He explained. "You've got a _great_ gamer instinct, so the best chance we have of beating Motors and saving that girl, is if we do it together, Lazer." Jaune declared as he offered Sun his hand. Sun looked baffled for a moment before returning Jaune's determined gaze with one of his own.

"My thoughts exactly, Ex-Aid." He replied as he clasped his hand in Jaune's. Blake remained silent, but couldn't help but smile at the scene. Despite the dire situation, the two blondes seemed like a couple of young children, becoming fast friends simply by sharing a common interest.

* * *

"Yay, we won!" Mary cried joyously as she saw Mighty dash through the stage goal, completing the level.

"Great job!" Pallad said with equal excitement as he gave the young Faunus a high five. "But be careful, the next level is really tough." He playfully warned.

"I can do it!" Mary eagerly insisted, gaining an amused chuckle from Pallad.

As promised, the trio of Bugsters brought Mary to their own hideout, where Pallad had played with her into the late hours of the night and then continued that very morning. All the while, Graphite lurked nearby, making no move to interrupt, only sparing the duo a few side-glances accompanied by annoyed scoffs. As for the Motors Bugster, it sat in a far off corner, slouching as it tapped its finger impatiently on its knee and mumbled to itself angrily.

"…Oh! This is it, this is it, THIS IS IT!" Motors suddenly exclaimed, shooting up from his seat. "It's finally time for the RACE!" It cheered as it mimed the motion of revving the engine of a motorcycle as it dashed across the room.

"Race?" Mary said with a quizzical tilt of her head.

"It means some friends of your brother's are coming to get you." Pallad explained, standing from his seat. Mary's face lit up at the news.

"Really, I can go home now!?" She asked eagerly.

"Not if _I_ have anything to say about it!" The Motors Bugster interjected, sliding to a stop right before them. "I'm gonna leave those slowpokes in the dust! Now, come on, come on, let's get going!" It demanded as it made to grab her.

"No!" Mary protested as she slipped passed Motors and hid behind Pallad. "I don't wanna go anywhere with him, I wanna keep playing with you!" She pleaded to the human-like Bugster, who put on a sympathetic smile as he kneeled down to address her.

"It's ok, there's no need to worry, Motors is just going to play a game with your brother's friends."

"A game?" Mary said.

"Yep, and don't worry, your brother's friends are _really_ strong, and once the game is over you'll get to see your brother." He assured her.

"I will?" Mary asked, Pallad nodding his confirmation. "Well… ok." Mary said softly as she handed Pallad his Game Pad. Suddenly, Mary was scooped up in the arms of a Bugster Soldier wearing a yellow jumpsuit.

"ALRIGHT! Let's hit the road!" The Motors Bugster shouted in excitement as he, his soldier, and Mary all teleported away. The moment they were gone, Pallad's smile faded into a dark frown, the change in expression not going unnoticed by Graphite.

"You know, I really have no idea what goes on in that head of yours sometimes." The dragon-like Bugster stated. "Why go to the trouble of making the brat feel comfortable if it annoys you so much?" Pallad's playful smile returned as he turned to address his comrade.

"What's the harm in polishing a trophy before the big race, after all nobody wants to compete for a damaged prize." Pallad stated as he sat back down and returned the game in his hands to the title screen. "Besides, I thought it would be more fun to have someone to play with while we waited, that's all. Humans or Faunus, adults or children, to us Bugsters…" Pallad then opened the game's save files, of which there were three, and scrolled to the file labeled "Mary". "They're all enemies." He then deleted it.

* * *

Sun strapped on his Gamer Driver, exchanging a determined glance with Jaune on his left and then with Blake on his right. He then presented his Rider Gashat and hit the switch.

" _Bakusou Bike!_ " The device announced as the Game Area spread.

"Henshin!" Sun announced before flipping the Gashat and sliding it into the Gamer Driver.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name!_ _I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Driver said as Sun selected his avatar with a kick and transformed into Lazer Bike Gamer Level 1.

"Second Gear!" Sun immediately cried as he opened the lever with a dramatic spin.

" _Gatchan!_ _Level Up! Bakusou Dokusou Gekisou Bousou Bakusou Bike!_ " The Driver sang as Sun made the change to Bike Gamer Level 2.

"Alright Jaune, hop on." Lazer instructed. With a quick nod, Jaune swung his leg over and sat on the Bike Gamer's seat, his hands gripping the handlebars for support.

"Well, here goes nothing." Jaune said as he reached down and hit the switch on Lazer's Kimewaza Slot Holder.

" _Stage Select!_ " It said as the typical choices of arenas appeared and orbited around the trio. Eventually, one was selected and they were promptly transported to what seemed to be a racetrack, Lazer parked under a "Bakusou Bike" banner that denoted the starting line.

"…Nobody's here?" Lazer said as he turned his front wheel to allow himself to look around.

"Don't worry, they'll be here." Jaune assured as he strapped on his own Gamer Driver and a helmet materialized on his head. "If Motors is anything like the other Bugster's we've fought, then he'll definitely want to try and stress Isaac out himself."

"So there's a good chance that he was the one who took Mary from the White Fang." Blake deduced.

"And since Motors is from a racing game, all we have to do is accept his challenge and…" Jaune trailed off when at the end of the track, above the finish line denoted by a GOAL graphic, appeared what seemed to be a cage suspended in midair. Inside, a confused looking Mary materialized in a flash of pixels, and strapped to her body was a row of dynamite sticks. "...He'll bring her right to us."

"Are you Mary!?" Blake shouted, receiving a nod from the distant girl. "Don't worry, we're here to help you, just hang on for a little bit longer!" She tried to assure her. The very next second, the Motors Bugster drove up to the finish line, forcing Blake to the sidelines.

"Heh, heh, so you finally found the guts to take me on, huh?" The Bugster taunted.

"We'll see who's laughing when we make you eat our dust!" Lazer replied, receiving an amused scoff from Motors.

"In your dreams slowpoke! Just you watch, the moment I cross the finish line, that little brat will be blown to smithereens and I'll reach my perfect form!" He declared with an excited cackle, earning him a glare from the opposing trio.

"Hold on tight Jaune, we're taking this creep down." Lazer said in the most serious voice Jaune had ever heard him use.

"You got it." Jaune agreed before slamming down the visor on his helmet.

The two racers leaned forward on their bikes, revving their respective engines in preparation as the starting lights above them began flashing. The reds eventually became yellows, and with a loud ping the green starting light flashed, the wheels on the motorbikes screeching as the racers sped forward. The race had officially begun.

The Motors Bugster immediately took the lead, slipping passed them before making a sharp turn around the first corner of the track, masterfully increasing the distance between them. Realizing the disadvantage they had, Jaune pulled out his Gashat and activated it.

" _Mighty Action X!_ " The item said as a flood of Chocolate Blocks flew all across the track.

"I'll change the patient's fate with my own hands! Henshin!" He declared before inserting the Gashat into the Driver and leaping off of Lazer.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ "

"Dai-Henshin!" Ex-Aid cried as he pulled the lever on the Driver.

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Mighty Jump, Mighty Kick, Mighty, Mighty Action X!_ " The Driver sang as Ex-Aid transitioned into Action Gamer Level 2 and landed right back on Lazer's seat.

"Let's do this!" Ex-Aid said as he revved Lazer's engine, greatly increasing his speed.

"Woohoo! Man, having somebody on board really makes a difference!" Lazer remarked as the duo almost instantly closed the distance between them and the Bugster, finally passing it the same way it did, by making a sharper turn around a corner.

"Grrr, why you…!" The Motors Bugster growled as it increased its speed in an attempt to catch up.

"Hey partner, get us that trophy will you!" Lazer requested, Ex-Aid looking up to see that they were indeed approaching one of the Bakusou Bike Game Area trophies.

"I'm on it!" Ex-Aid complied, subtly drifting to the side and crashing into the object. The trophy burst open and revealed a green Energy Item that depicted a dark puddle with the signature Rider eyes.

" _Liquefy!_ " The Game Area announced as Lazer absorbed the medal. The energy collected into his exhaust pipe and out from it spouted what seemed to be a makeshift oil slick, which the approaching Buster drove right in to.

"Whoawhoawhoawhoawhao, GHAAAAA!" It screamed as it slipped right off the track and into the surrounding patch of grass, allowing Ex-Aid and Lazer to get a significant lead.

While the race went on, Blake snuck her way over to the finish line, leaping up onto the cage that Mary was being held in.

"Pssst, Mary, come here." Blake whispered, hoping not to catch the attention of the Bugster stationed as the flag waver. Mary trotted up to her and Blake gently turned her around. "Let's see if we can't get this off of you." She said as she began attempting to unstrap the dynamite from her. However, there didn't seem to be any strap or other mechanism to suggest that it could be removed, and it proved sturdy enough for her to not be able to rip it apart with her bare hands. She reached for Gambol Shroud on her back but the explosives glitching for a moment proved such an effort would be futile. Her golden eyes narrowed as she let out a frustrated grunt.

"It's ok." Mary said, turning back around with a smile on her face. "I'm having fun watching the race, Pallad was right, my brother's friends _are_ really strong."

"Pallad?" Blake said quizzically.

"He's the one who rescued me from the bad men in the masks." Mary explained. "He said that once my brother's friends beat that loud, shiny guy in a game then they'll take me back to my brother, so I shouldn't worry." Blake was surprised by how calm and genuinely entertained this girl was, as if this weren't a life or death situation, for her _and_ her brother. However, what really confused her was the mention of this Pallad person.

' _I thought the Motors Bugster took Mary from the White Fang. But if she's here as the "trophy", then this Pallad must be his ally… or even his superior._ ' Blake thought as she glanced back at the race, and then back to Mary, who was watching with bright, wide eyes.

Just when Ex-Aid and Lazer thought they were in the clear, the Motors Bugster came speeding up to them with a loud, deranged battle cry. It pulled up to them on a long, straight stretch of road and threw a punch at Ex-Aid's face. The Rider blocked it easily enough and retaliated with a swift kick that made contact with its shoulder. The Motors Bugster let out an annoyed growl before aiming one of the pipes on its back at Ex-Aid and shot what seemed to be a Bugster shaped bomb at him. Unable to defend himself, the bomb detonated and sent Ex-Aid flying off of Lazer's back, allowing Motors to regain the lead as Lazer quickly chased after his rider.

"You ok buddy?" Lazer asked as he managed to catch Ex-Aid back into his seat.

"Yeah, thanks." Ex-Aid said in gratitude before revving his engine and chasing after the Bugster.

However, the Bugster quickly wised up to this and with a loud cackle began firing bombs from his pipes back at them, forcing them to take evasive action.

"HA, HA, HA, I HAVE BECOME THE WIND!" He shouted as he sped down the track, Ex-Aid and Lazer unable to catch up while evading the projectiles.

"Ugh, I am so done with these bombs!" Lazer complained as he narrowly dodged yet another.

"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Ex-Aid agreed as he summoned the Gashacon Breaker. With a hum of understanding, Lazer positioned himself right in the line of fire of the next bomb, and with perfect timing Ex-Aid knocked it back, sending it crashing into the ground next to the Bugster. The explosion made it lose its momentum, and not only discouraged it from firing any more bombs, but also allowed Ex-Aid and Lazer to close the distance. And not a moment too soon as they were in the final stretch of the race, the finish line in full view.

"Let's clear this game with no continues!" Ex-Aid declared as he switched the Gashacon Breaker to sword mode and hit the B button once. He decreased the distance between them ever so slightly and then unleashed a slash of pink graphic energy that knocked the Motors Bugster off his bike and into the air. Ex-Aid then quickly switched back to hammer mode and began knocking open any nearby Chocolate Blocks and trophies until finally he found the Energy Item he was looking for.

" _Jump Up!_ " The Game Area announced as Lazer absorbed the medal, allowing him to make a great leap and meet the Motors Bugster in the air. The creature seemed just about ready to regain its composure in the air before Ex-Aid hit the B button on his weapon twice and slammed the hammer down on Motors' head, disorienting him further.

" _Gashun!_ " Now was the perfect chance to finish things, so Ex-Aid removed the Bakusou Bike Gashat from Lazer's Driver and slid it into his Kimewaza Slot Holder.

" _Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " Ex-Aid hit the switch, energy pooling into Lazer's exhaust pipe.

"The only ones crossing the finish line around here…!" Lazer began.

"…are the two of us!" Ex-Aid finished before hitting the switch again.

" _Bakusou Critical Strike!_ " The device announced as a multitude of bright lasers fired from the exhaust pipe, the Motors Bugster crying out in pain as it was hit with each and every one of them, accompanied by a large PERFECT graphic and an explosion of pixels. Lazer safely landed back on the road and made the final dash towards the finish line, winning the race.

" _Game Clear!_ " The Game Area announced with the typical appearance of the Gashat library, a GAME CLEAR graphic appearing over Bakusou Bike. The Game Area then transported them all back to Beacon, as well dematerialized the cage Mary was held in, sending her and Blake into free fall. Mary let out a frightened cry but Blake quickly grabbed onto her and with great nimbleness did a flip in the air to right herself and landed safely on the ground with Mary in her arms.

"Are you ok?" Blake asked her, the child nodding her response. Blake gave her a smile, satisfied that the explosives have disappeared as well.

"Nice catch." Lazer remarked as he skid to a stop.

"Nice racing." She returned the praise.

"It was a team effort." Lazer insisted as Ex-Aid dismounted, allowing him to close his Driver and revert back to his humanoid Level 1 form. Sun then removed his Gashat from his Driver to cancel the transformation, Jaune doing the same, and the two exchanging a friendly smile and a fist bump.

* * *

"Go on, say it." Ruby urged a very irritated looking Weiss. The rest of the CR crew returned to Beacon after being informed of Isaac and Mary's well being, and they all now stood in the CR where Weiss stood before the two sheep Faunus, all eyes on her.

"I… I apologize for being so rude to you, it was wrong of me to let my personal feelings interfere with my duties as a member of the CR and I hope you can forgive me." The heiress said, unable to make the apology not sound rehearsed and was said with some notable difficulty. Isaac clearly wasn't pleased, but as he glanced down at Mary, who held his hand and looked up at him expectantly, he forced himself to swallow his pride.

"Apology accepted, and I guess I'm… sorry as well, I could've been more cooperative and… I really do appreciate what you all did for me, thank you so much for saving my sister." He sincerely thanked with a humble bow of his head. He then turned his attention to Ozpin, who stood off to the side, leaning on his cane.

"So what happens now, I leave here just to find a SWAT team waiting for me outside?" He asked, much to Mary's concern.

"There's no need to fret about that Mr. Shepard, the CR is first and foremost a medical institution, and so we do hold a certain degree of doctor-patient confidentiality." Ozpin assured, much to Isaac's surprise. "We only ask that you practice the same secrecy in return."

"…Ok, sounds like a fair trade to me." Isaac said. "You ready to go Mary?" He asked her, the girl giving a happy nod in response. "Again, thank you so much for your help." He thanked one last time before turning to leave.

"Bye bye!" Mary said with a friendly wave goodbye, which more than a few members returned.

"Now then, there is still the matter with your charges, Mr. Wukong." Ozpin said, the entire assembly turning their attention to the monkey Faunus just in time to catch him in an attempt to sneak off. He stopped as he felt everyone's gazes, standing back at attention with a nervous and guilty smile on his face. The gazes just became more condemning, causing Sun to sigh in defeat.

"Alright, fine. Go ahead, slap some cuffs on me and take me jail." He said as he offered up his hands.

"Wait, Professor, is there anyway you can reconsider?" Jaune pleaded, gaining a sour look from Weiss.

"Perhaps, but I think Mr. Wukong would rather spend his detainment in his dorm room rather than a jail cell." Ozpin rebuked, much to everyone's confusion. As Sun looked up at Ozpin, the Huntsman gave the student a slip of paper, Sun examining it intently.

"This is…"

"The key code to your dorm room." Ozpin revealed. "Ms. Goodwitch checked our records and it seems that you are in fact Sun Wukong, leader of Team SSSN and visiting student from Haven Academy. Of course the rest of your story still requires confirmation, but you have more than proved your good intensions and so I managed to convince the council to allow you to stay within the custody of Beacon Academy while the matter is investigated."

"Wow, I… thank you Professor Ozpin." Sun said with a grateful bow.

"It is my pleasure. Welcome to Beacon Academy, Mr. Wukong." Ozpin said with a slight, welcoming smile. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Do keep up the good work everyone." With that Ozpin strolled out of the room, the students each giving their own respective words of farewell.

"So, anyone interested in showing the new guy around?" Sun inquired playfully, his fellow students returning their attention to him.

"Don't think you're off the hook just yet." Weiss stated as she stomped up to him with a stern expression. "You step one foot out of line and next time you really will find yourself in a pair of handcuffs, understand?" She warned, wagging a finger in his face.

"…A simple "no" would've sufficed." He quipped, much to Weiss' visible chagrin.

"I'll do it." Blake's voice interrupted before Weiss could erupt in a tirade.

"Wait, really?" Sun said, his face brightening up.

" **Really?** " The entire rest of the CR crew echoed in shock.

"It's better than having him wondering around on his own." Blake offered her reasoning.

"Hmm, point taken." Weiss conceded. "Just make sure he stays out of trouble."

"Of course. Come on, Sun." Blake gestured for the boy to follow, who was more than happy to oblige.

"You know, he's really not that bad Weiss." Jaune defended.

"Quiet, _you're_ not off the hook either!" Weiss snapped, much to Jaune's confusion. He then noticed that many of the others were eyeing him accusingly, and so for the next half hour Jaune had the unfortunate pleasure of being chewed out for going behind their backs and going to a wanted criminal for help.

* * *

"That's the main dormitory." Blake said as she pointed to a building off to the side, which Sun gawked at like he had all of the others. "However, exchange students all use the Eastern Dormitory, so your room should be in that one over there." She informed, turning his attention to another, identical building to the east.

"Alright, sounds good." Sun said with an understanding nod. "Thanks for the tour, but I can take it from here." He insisted as he showed off his Scroll that now had the key code programed into it.

"Fine, just stay out of trouble, Jaune and I can't always bail you out." She warned, but with a noticeably sympathetic expression.

"Best behavior, got it." Sun replied with a thumbs-up before making his way over to his dorm.

"…Hey Sun." Blake called out to him, the blonde Faunus returning his attention to her. "I uh… about yesterday, at the docks…"

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to refrain from giving you any "fashion advice" in front of the others." Sun assured, much to Blake's surprise.

"I… thank you, I really appreciate it." Blake said, relief evident in her voice.

"No problem, it's the least I could do for giving me a chance." Sun replied.

"It was really Jaune who wanted to give you a chance, I'm sure you could tell I had my fair share of suspicions of you… still do honestly." Blake looked away with a guilty expression.

"Yeah, I know." Sun casually admitted, making Blake flinch. "But you didn't have to go along with him, you may have been suspicious but you still wanted to hear my side of things before deciding I was guilty. You'd be surprised how few people actually bother to do that, so it means a lot to me." He flashed Blake a kind, appreciative smile, giving her peace of mind that he held no ill will towards her.

"So yeah, don't worry about me spilling the beans or anything, you scratched my back, so now I'll scratch yours… or something." He let out an awkward chuckle at his sad attempt at eloquence, but Blake couldn't help but crack an amused smile of her own.

"Alright, thank you Sun." She thanked one last time, Sun simply nodding in agreement.

"I'll see you around Blake." He said with a casual wave goodbye as he began his trek to his dorm. Blake failed to notice her gaze lingering on the boy's back just a little bit too long before she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her shoulder.

"Enjoying the view there, Blake?" Yang said with a cheeky grin.

"Yang? What are you doing here?" Blake inquired.

"Eh, chewing out vomit boy was getting old, so I thought I'd come see what our other two conspirators were up to." Yang explained.

"I just showed him to his dorm, that's it." Blake insisted, knowing exactly what her partner was implying.

"Ok, not sure how gazing at him longingly when he's not looking helps him find his dorm, but…" Blake let out an annoyed sigh as she unwrapped Yang's arm from her shoulders and made a tactical retreat, but of course it wouldn't be that easy. "Jaune tells me he's a pretty smooth ride,"

"Yang…"

"You thinking of taking a ride on him yourself?" She made a gesture like revving the engine of a motorcycle.

"Please, stop…"

"You gonna ride him all night long?"

"I am begging you, please…"

"Hey, if you're not interested, would you mind if I took him out for a spin?" She asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows and a jab at her ribs with her elbow.

' _Ugh… blondes._ '

* * *

 **A/N: And then there were 3... or 4 depending on who you count. So guys, I want your honest opinion, how was this chapter, was it too long, did I try to cram too much in it with the whole White Fang/Faunus racism angle I had going on here, or did it bring just the right amount of drama? Let me know because I am insecure and require the validation from others (JK, but seriously I'm curious). I have to say though I really enjoyed writing for Isaac, I could have easily made him a Blake clone and had him be all "Oh the White Fang is evil now so I quit", or just have him be one of the current, evil members of the White Fang and the conflict would be about whether or not to save a terrorist, but I wanted to see how somebody who quit due to circumstance would be like, somebody who no longer intends to commit the crime, but still fully supports those who do, like a retired Nazi if you will.**

 **Also on a side note, I had a pretty hard time deciding on Isaac's name, I actually fully intended on leaving him nameless and just calling him "the patient" in the narration. But then after I decided on Mary's name, inspired by the nursery rhyme "Mary had a Little Lamb", I did some research and eventually got Isaac's name from the biblical story "The Binding of Isaac", where Abraham is ordered to sacrifice his son Issac in the name of God but at the very last second he is allowed to sacrifice a ram instead. So yeah, oh and Shepard is just from a sheep s** **hepard, not much deeper meaning there.**

 **Now, since we've finally introduced Sun and he has established his flirty friendship with Blake, I think it's a good time to talk about how "shipping" is going to work in this story. When brave kid first came to me with this idea I asked him what our policy on shipping was gonna be and he made it clear that he didn't want an official pairing for this story, and to be honest, I kind of agree with that decision. Now of course we can't do a RWBY fanfic without dealing with all of the ships and such, especially those with characters that are canonically attracted to each other, but romance is not the focus of this story and thus you'll never actually see any romantic pay off for any of the "ships" in this story. Essentially any "romance" you see in this story will be the typical "maybe it is, maybe it isn't" overly close touchy feely friendships that Tokusatsu series are known for, they'll get as "buddy buddy" as they can get without actually getting together (I'm looking at you Ghost! Seriously, how are Takeru and Akari NOT in love!?).**

 **Also, another side note, one reviewer pleaded with me not make this story one of those "Jaune becomes a badass and then gets a harem" fics that all the rage now a days, so yeah, that's not happening either.**

 **And finally, on a bit of a more personal note, December 6 would have been the 58th birthday of the late and great Satoru Iwata. I'll admit, I didn't even really know who this man was until after he died, I mean sure I knew he was the president of Nintendo and all of that, but I had absolutely no idea how much of a hand he had in making Nintendo the gaming juggernaught it is today. I was never much of a gamer when I was a kid, I never played the big flagship Nintendo games like Mario and Zelda, but I do know that games like Pokemon and Super Smash Bros. were and still are a big part of my life, and I have Mr. Iwata to thank for helping make them what they are. Mr. Iwata believed that games should first and foremost be fun to play, he knew that they didn't need over the top senseless violence or mind-bendingly realistic graphics to be successful, they just had to be fun, and he kept that sense of fun alive in the gaming industry all this time, the same sense of fun that the creators of Ex-Aid tried to emulate with the Gashats. So, whether you're a leet or a casual, whether Nintendo was your whole childhood or you've never picked up a Nintendo game in your life, if you're a gamer, than I think you can understand how important Satoru Iwata was to the gaming industry as we know it.**

 **Happy Birthday Mr. Iwata, you will be missed.**

 **So on that tear wrenching note, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next time.**


	7. A Cool Dude and a Bad 'Tude

**A/N: Hey guys, MCN here! I know it's been a while... I just checked in the middle of writing this A/N to find out it is as been almost literally a year since I posted for this story, _yikes_! For those of you who don't know, since I only mentioned it in at the end of the last chapter of Reconnect, I took a little break from Fan Fiction to try my hand at writing my first original novel... and since this is me we're talking about I got through all but two chapters of that before I lost all motivation to write anything... at all. But, after the premiere of RWBY Vol 6, I got the itch to write for this story again, and so, here we are. So, with that out of the way, let's get to the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Ex-Aid or RWBY**

* * *

 **A Cool Dude and a Bad 'Tude!**

The Bullhead Station in the city of Vale was almost exclusively used by students of Beacon Academy, as a convenient way to get to and from the city. As such, the first Bullheads started running two hours before classes started during the week, giving students the chance to take care of any business in Vale before the school day started. At the moment, a Bullhead had come back from the school and docked at the station, opening its doors and allowing new passengers to cycle in and out.

"Yeah dude, I'm getting on the Bullhead right now. Your directions sucked by the way." A boy said into his scroll as he approached the Bullhead ramp. He was a tall, rather handsome young man with messy, light blue hair styled in an undercut, a pair of goggles situated on his forehead. He wore a white dress shirt and tie under a stylish red jacket, paired with a pair of grey jeans and black shoes.

"It's cool, I managed to make it to the station, due to the help of some _very_ nice locals." He said, looking over his shoulder and winking at a pair of giggling girls that lingered around the station. "Right, I'll meet you there in an hour… yeah, yeah, I promise not to say anything about the bow, give me a _little_ credit here, man." He assured as he boarded the Bullhead and took a seat.

"Catch ya later." He said before hanging up, taking a moment to relax in his seat as the Bullhead took off. Once they were in the air, he took a look out the window at the incredible view of Vale, and just a little higher the magnificent Beacon Academy came into view.

"Pffft, stowaway on a cargo ship." He mocked his rash leader before sinking back in his seat.

* * *

The CR crew all waited impatiently as Ozpin took what felt like the longest sip of coffee they had ever seen in their life. With a satisfied sigh, Ozpin set his mug down on the table and finally, _finally_ , addressed the antsy teens.

"Now then, let's skip straight to the point, shall we." Ozpin said, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose as his students all hunched forward, eager for his next word. "I have been informed by the Mistral City Police Department that Mr. Wukong's alibi…" He paused for dramatic effect, his lips curling into a small smirk as he saw his students squirm under the anticipation. "…Has been confirmed, and there is no longer any need for detainment." He informed them, the entire crew letting out a collective sigh of relief.

"Yes! Thank you cranky old Mr. Chu!" Sun cheered in his seat, raising his arms up in the air in celebration.

"Yes, well, he certainly had a few… _colorful_ things to say about your character, most of which involve the mysterious phenomenon of his produce disappearing whenever you seem to be in the vicinity." Ozpin added, the CR crew sending Sun accusatory looks, who only had a nervous laugh to offer as a response. "Regardless, he was able to confirm your presence at his stand while the White Fang raid had begun, so I believe it is safe to assume that you had no part in the _initial_ theft of the Gamer Drivers." Ozpin added, though it didn't stop Weiss and Blake from rolling their eyes.

"Great… so, does that mean I can finally take _this_ thing off now?" Sun asked, lifting his right leg to reveal a house arrest ankle bracelet.

"Of course, Ms. Goodwitch, if you would." Ozpin said, the sour looking woman doing as instructed and unlocking the device with her scroll.

"Ahh, _finally_ , I can leave the campus!" Sun said as he removed the device from his ankle and tossed it over his shoulder in delight.

" _And_ start going to classes." Glynda reminded him, immediately whipping Sun's smile off his face.

"Oh yeah, _classes_." He lamented as he sank back into his seat.

"It's better than being cooped up in your room all day with nothing to do, isn't it?" Blake consoled offhandedly. Sun met her gaze for a moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes, before his face brightened up.

"Yeah, I guess your right." He conceded, leaning back his chair with a content look on his face. Blake raised an eyebrow at his sudden change in demeanor, but decided to shrug off the curiosity once she became preoccupied with ignoring the smug look that her partner was sending her way.

"That being said, there is still one last matter we need to discuss, Mr. Wukong." Ozpin said, regaining the young Faunus' attention. "As I recall, there were two Gamer Drivers being held in that warehouse, as well as two Rider Gashats to go along with them." He explained, Sun suddenly going stiff. "Obviously, one pair is in your possession, but if you could please confirm the location of the second."

"Uhhh…"

"You did take _both_ Drivers back from the White Fang, did you not?" Glynda prodded, everyone now looking to Sun for an answer.

"O-Of course I did, there's no way I would leave something that valuable in the hands of those creeps!" Sun frantically assured.

"Excellent, then if you would please turn it over to us so that we may bestow it upon our chosen candidate." Ozpin requested.

Sun only froze.

"That's gonna be Pyrrha, right!?" Nora exclaimed from her seat.

"Of course it is, with only one Gamer Driver left unaccounted for, it would be an absolute travesty if it didn't go to the one person qualified to use it." Weiss gave a haughty reply.

Sun shivered in his seat.

"I'm just glad the White Fang didn't get their hands on it." Ruby said with obvious relief.

"Or worse, yet _another_ second rate nobody the council won't approve of, no offense to you guys." Yang said, Jaune and Ren shrugging their shoulders in indifference.

Sun just shivered again, sinking further into his seat.

"Well then Mr. Wukong, if you would please." Glynda said, gesturing for Sun to bring out the fourth and final Gamer Driver.

"Uhhhhhhhh…." Sun remained frozen, breaking into a cold sweat. However, before Sun could summon the courage to answer, the moment was interrupted by the sound of a sharp whistle.

" _Nice digs_ , it looks like a real hospital in here." The entire CR crew turned to see an unfamiliar looking boy climbing up the winding stairs and admiring the lounge. They all stood from their seats, falling into defensive stances despite currently being in uniform with their weapons nowhere in sight. The tense atmosphere was not lost on the intruder, who stiffened at the intense and suspicious stares he was receiving. "Uh… dude, you told them I was coming, right?"

"I was… getting to it." Sun nervously replied. Everyone turned their gazes back to the monkey tailed Faunus. "…Ahem, allow me to introduce you guys." Sun quickly said as he slipped passed everyone to stand by the new arrival. "This is Neptune, he's my partner from Haven, and a trusted friend… _very_ trusted friend." He emphasized, patting the blue haired Huntsman affectionately on the shoulder.

"Sup, Neptune Vasilias at your service." Neptune greeted with a gracious, if somewhat over the top bow. The CR crew all traded looks with the professors, not finding it very hard to put two and two together.

"Mr. Wukong, please tell me that you only revealed this _classified_ location to your partner so that he may deliver an _unused_ Driver to us." Glynda said in a stern tone and with a scowl on her face.

"Uhhh…I…" Sun struggled under the scarily stern woman's gaze.

"SUN!" Blake scolded him, forcing Sun to come clean.

"I'm _sorry_ , ok! But he's my partner, what was I supposed to do, lie to him?" Sun defended.

" **YES!** " The entire CR crew bellowed, shutting his argument down.

"…Uh, I'm gonna go ahead and guess that we're not entirely welcome here." Neptune said, in an attempt to break the mounting tension in the room. The entirety of the CR fell back into their seats with a defeated sigh.

"Forgive the less than warm reception Mr. Vasilias, we are just…" Ozpin paused, struggling to find a polite way to express their current frustration.

"No worries, I get it, we're not exactly what you expected, and _this_ knucklehead didn't exactly make a good first impression. I wouldn't have high hopes for us either." Neptune replied in a nonchalant, but understanding voice.

"The problem isn't a lack of faith; Haven Academy is a fine school and anyone who managed to earn a spot there is surely a capable Huntsmen or Huntress. It's just that there are… _protocols_ to be followed, expectations to be met, and…"

"Basically, you two party crashers have put the lot of us in some serious hot water with the big wigs of the four kingdoms." Yang interjected.

"Ouch." Neptune winced.

"Precisely, thank you Ms. Xiao Long for that concise explanation." Ozpin stated, to which Yang only responded with a lazy thumbs up.

" _Concise_ is not what is needed at the moment, Professor Ozpin." Glynda said, no patience left to spare. "This could very well permanently destroy what little trust the council still has in you, well beyond the context of the CR!" She declared, much to the shock of the students. "Honestly, you are all supposed to be the future protectors of humanity, so it astounds me just how irresponsible you all can be! Despite the outrageous aesthetic of your equipment, this _isn't_ a video game that just anyone can "jump in and play" just for the fun of it!" Her tirade was punctuated with a hard slam of her fist onto the table, earning a flinch from the students.

Everyone traded nervous glances with each other. They all knew that the council wasn't happy with how things had turned out, but none of them had any idea just how deep of a hole Ozpin was in, dug by the selfish whims of a quartet of teenagers trying to play hero. Ren's face fell into a noticeable frown while Jaune sank into his seat, as if physically admitting to being the root cause of this unfortunate trend.

"Now, now, Ms. Goodwitch, I understand your frustration, but what's done is done, and reprimanding them so harshly will not solve anything." Ozpin spoke, his calm demeanor in stark contrast to Glynda's outrage.

"But professor…!"

"Like it or not, _these_ are our Kamen Riders, and so far they have proven to be perfectly capable in their own right. I believe focusing on cultivating their skill, as we always have with our students, would be a much more productive use of our time than denouncing them for mistakes that cannot be fixed, wouldn't you agree." He lectured his fellow teacher. As usual, Ms. Goodwitch found herself unable to challenge her employer and simply crossed her arms with a huff of defeat.

"Then it's settled, welcome to the CR~!" Poppy cried ecstatically as she appeared out of the monitor. Neptune took a surprised step back at the greeting, much to the amusement to some of the CR members, the tense atmosphere abruptly lifted.

"Whoa! She really did come out of the TV!" Neptune said in astonishment.

"Told ya!" Sun gloated with a smirk.

"Allow me to introduce you to your fellow CR members." Poppy said before she abruptly teleported over to Jaune and Ren in a flash of pink data.

"First off are your fellow Kamen Riders. This is Jaune Arc; he uses the action platforming game Mighty Action X to transform into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid! And this is Lie Ren; he uses the FPS game Bang Bang Shooting to transform into Kamen Rider Snipe!" She introduced, Poppy flashing over to Pyrrha and Nora before the boys had a chance to offer their own greetings.

"And these are their partners, Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie, together they make up _Team JNPR~_!" She exclaimed, Nora basking in the bubbly introduction while Pyrrha just gave an awkward smile and subtle wave.

"And finally, we have…!"

"We can introduce _ourselves_ , thank you." Weiss cut her off with raised hand. Poppy immediately began sulking at the command, hanging her head in disappointment as Ruby attempted to console her with a pat on her head.

"We're Team RWBY, on my right is my partner, and our leader, Ruby Rose." Weiss began, standing from her seat and gesturing to the girl beside her.

"Oh… uh, hi, nice to meet you." Ruby greeted awkwardly.

"Likewise." Neptune replied with a friendly smile and a nod.

"The one oh so rudely reclining in her seat is her sister, Yang Xiao Long." Weiss continued down the line.

"Hope you like to party new guy, cause things can get _pretty_ crazy around here." Yang playfully warned.

"I think I can handle it." Neptune said crossing his arms with a similarly casual stance.

"And the one with the perpetual frown on her face is Yang's partner, Blake Belladonna." The girl in question just offered a stoic nod of her head, which Neptune silently returned.

"I think they would've been better off with Poppy doing the intros." Nora whispered to her team in a snarky tone.

"And I'm Weiss Schnee. The four of us are volunteering our time to aid the CR in the fight against the Bugster Virus." Weiss explained. "Admittedly, _frustratingly_ , our role is limited to aiding in diagnosis and little else, but so long as you are a member of the CR, we will offer you our support as best we can." She punctuated the speech with a light curtsy, in a clear and almost comical overstatement of her prim and proper upbringing.

"Cold shoulder?" Neptune whispered to Sun, who had previously warned him of his own chilly reception from the heiress.

"Maybe it's the hair." Sun teasingly replied.

"Well, if I'm going to have someone like you watching my back, I don't think I'll have anything to worry about." Neptune said, taking a few cool and confident strides over to the heiress. "I look forward to working with you, Snow Angel."

Jaune cringed at the familiar nickname, instantly reminded of his own failed attempt at flattering Beacon's resident Ice Queen.

' _I guess "dumb boys trying to sound cool" all think alike.'_ Jaune thought to himself.' _I feel for the guy. Hope Weiss doesn't tear into him too…_ '

"The feeling is mutual, I do hope I will live up to your expectations." Weiss replied with a pleasant smile on her face.

"…What?" Jaune said, the rest of his classmates sharing in his disbelief.

"Who are you and what have you done to the real Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed, earning an annoyed glare from her partner. Before the red and white duo could erupt into an argument, Ozpin cleared his throat, returning everyone's attention to him.

"Well, now that we have that matter settled, I do believe it is about time you students make your way to your classes." Professor Ozpin stated. "Mr. Vasilias if you would please follow me, I can get you situated with your dorm room passcode and class schedule."

"No need Professor, I've already got that covered." Neptune declined the offer, taking out his scroll to show that he had already received his electronic key code and his weekly class schedule.

"Oh, I see. Very well, then I'll leave your classmates to show you to your first class." Ozpin said as he stood from his seat. "Good day, students." He said as he departed from the CR, Glynda following close behind, sour look still on her face.

"When did you get that?" Sun inquired, pointing at Neptune's scroll.

"Dude, I had like an hour to kill. So, I figured I might as well get settled in." Neptune explained.

"Well, your already proving yourself to be a more diligent student then even our resident Kamen Riders." Weiss said.

" _Hey!_ Ren resents that!" Nora declared.

"I really don't mind." Ren quickly denied.

"Anyway, we do have _some_ time before the first bell rings, perhaps I can show you to your first class." Weiss kindly offered; hands folded neatly in front of her as she flashed an innocent pair of blue eyes at Neptune.

"By all means, lead the way." Neptune graciously accepted the offer, following Weiss out of the CR.

"…Did he… is she… is this seriously happening?" Jaune said, in complete bafflement.

"Oh, it's happening." Yang confirmed suggestively as she and Sun followed their teammates.

"Wait, what's happening?" Ruby said with a quizzical tilt of her head.

"It's best if you don't know Ruby." Blake insisted as she and her leader made to follow their team, with Team JNPR not far behind.

"… _Sulk~…_ " Poppy mumbled, now left alone to sulk in the corner of the CR.

* * *

Word of the first students from another Huntsmen Academy to arrive for the Vytal Festival spread throughout the school like wildfire; the fact that they came significantly earlier than expected probably had a hand in the intense interest. Team RWBY and Team JNPR "coincidentally" had all of the same classes together, but only two with the present members of Team SSSN, and thus for the first four periods they were only privy to the whispers in the hallways as to how the latest editions to the CR were fairing in their classes. At first the curiosity centered on their sudden, untimely arrival, but by the time Remnant History rolled around, the conversation was completely dominated by the burning question of if either student was single.

It goes without saying that the majority of the whispers were coming from the female student body.

Thus, Jaune really shouldn't have been surprised when Sun and Neptune came striding into the lecture hall with a crowd of squealing girls surrounding them.

"Well, the new guys sure do seem popular, don't they Blake?" Yang said, scooting just an inch closer to her partner.

"Good for them." Blake replied, sparing neither Yang nor the commotion behind them a single glance. "They certainly seem like the type to make friends easily."

"Should've marked your territory when you had the chance~." Nora cooed from her seat in the row behind her. Blake remained silent, offering only a roll of her eyes while keeping her focus on the notes from the previous lecture she was reviewing.

"Sup losers." Sun playfully greeted before perching himself on the desk right next to Blake, finally getting the girl to look up from her notebook. "This seat taken?" He asked, pointing to the available seat at Blake's side with his tail.

"If I say it isn't, will you get down off the desk?" Blake retorted with a detached voice.

" _You_ have got yourself a deal." Sun happily replied as he eagerly slid into the seat.

"Hey Sun." Ruby greeted with a friendly smile. "How's your first day at Beacon going?"

"So far so good, though the classes are a total snooze-fest." Sun replied as he reclined in his chair. "Makes me grateful that my partner is such a nerd."

"He sure doesn't look like a nerd to me." Jaune said, watching as Neptune effortlessly conversed with the gaggle of girls, earning himself a giggle or two with the occasional squeal of delight.

"Yeah… sorry about that, he'd come over here if could, he's just a little trapped at the moment." Sun defended.

" _You_ certainly had no trouble escaping." Weiss retorted, clearly irritated.

"What can I say, I guess I just don't have that same magnetic charm that Neptune does." Sun suggested with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders.

Jaune didn't buy that for one second. Regardless of if Sun was aware of it or not, some of the girls in the procession were certainly more interested in him than they were his partner, some of which even separated from the herd to strategically place themselves in a row of seats across the aisle from them to continue admiring him. He figured that the only reason they weren't still swarming him was because he was clearly rather chummy with the infamously aloof Blake Belladonna of Team RWBY, which additionally consisted of a fifteen year old prodigy, the heiress of the largest Dust distributer in the world, and a blonde bombshell that could burst into flames at the wrong provocation. Not only that, but they were all tight with the members of Team JNPR, or more accurately, with the world-renowned tournament fighter Pyrrha Nikos.

Now that he really thought about it, they weren't exactly the most approachable friend group at Beacon.

"Well, be that as it may, it wouldn't do to have him be so distracted during class. I better see to it that he stays on task." Weiss volunteered herself as she gathered her things and made her way up to Neptune's chosen seat at the back of the class.

Jaune just watched as the impromptu Neptune Fan Club instantly parted upon Weiss's arrival, the two teens exchanging a few words as Weiss slipped in next to Neptune. However, Jaune's curiosity turned into astonishment as Neptune gave Weiss a playful wink and the Ice Queen's cheeks actually managed to turn a light shade of pink as a result.

"…Ok, seriously, how does he do that!?" Jaune demanded in complete bafflement. From what he could tell, the blue haired boy wasn't acting any differently than he did on the few occasions he tried his hand at flirting, so he was desperate for an explanation for their wildly different results.

"Some guys got it, some guys don't." Nora offered, the playful slight against her leader cutting a bit deeper than she intended. Jaune gave out a frustrated sigh before planting his head on his desk.

"Chin up Jaune, as I believe the saying goes, there are _plenty_ of fish in the sea." Pyrrha attempted to cheer up her partner.

"If only I didn't suck at fishing." Jaune lamented, refusing to sit up, even as class began.

The moment the bell began ringing, the staff door burst open, and in a blur of green and white, Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck came rushing in.

"Alright, alright, settle down students, we have much to discuss today. Mr. Arc, I see you with your head down back there, please pay attention." Oobleck rattled off in a single breath, Jaune immediately sitting back up at the sudden mention of his name.

Dr. Oobleck was a man that always seemed to be in a rush, if his messy green hair and disheveled appearance didn't already convey that, he also was constantly drinking coffee from a thermos he carried on him at all times. His quick speech and the way he was constantly in motion during his lectures made it almost impossible for Jaune to take proper notes on whatever he was talking about, the moment he finished jotting down a thought the man was already on to the next subject, so it was a better use of his time for Jaune to just listen to the lecture and take a look at his partner's notes after class.

However, on this particular day Jaune decided to try his hand at note taking again. He always appreciated how much help his team was giving him, but he couldn't rely on them forever. He needed to start doing things on his own.

"Now then, as you may recall last class we were discussing the political implications of the establishment of the Vytal Festival following the end of the Great War." Oobleck reminded the students as he began scribbling notes on the board.

' _Right! Vytal… Festival… after… Great War…_ ' Jaune thought to himself as he jotted down the key point. ' _That's not so bad, everyone knows that._ '

"…And that was when the Farmer's Revolt of…"

' _Wait… what about farmers? I thought we were talking about the Vytal Festival?_ ' Jaune tried to recall anything about a "Farmer's Revolt" in the readings Oobleck had assigned, but all he could muster up was the memory of the game he played after he was finished studying. Regardless, he shrugged his shoulders and jotted it down.

"Now, can anyone tell me what the Kingdoms did in order to put an end to the Farmer's Revolt?" Oobleck asked the students. The majority of them remained silent, all glassy eyed and just trying their very hardest to follow what the man was saying, but a select few did indeed raise their hands to be called upon. "Yes, _you_ , the new face in the back." Oobleck called on Neptune. The entire class turned to listen to his reply.

"The Kingdom of Mistral wrote up what is now known as the Treaty of Enoch, which once approved by the other three Kingdoms allowed for the establishment of auxiliary huntsman academies near major settlements outside of the Kingdoms." Neptune stated in a rather professional tone, a stark contrast to his usual laid back attitude.

' _Auxiliary? Like before everything was wireless?_ ' Jaune wondered.

"Precisely! However while this did solve the primary concerns of the Farmer's Revolt, it wasn't without its drawbacks. For example…"

' _Wait, wait, wait, what were the farmers revolting about in the first place?_ ' In Jaune's panic, his eyes began to wander around the room, seeing many easily scribble down notes on their own notebooks like it was second nature to them, even Ruby was doing her very best to keep up. By the time Jaune refocused on the lecture he figured that he'd missed quite a lot ,so he raised his hand hoping that Oobleck would be willing to repeat the information. Unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky.

"Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?" Oobleck asked, zipping right up to his seat and getting in his face.

' _He already asked another question?_ ' Jaune despaired in his head, having no idea what he had just volunteered himself to answer. "Uh… I'm sorry, can you repeat the question?" Jaune meekly requested.

"Certainly! What major Vale military figure was among the first graduates of the Auxiliary Huntsman Academy of Token?" Oobleck repeated. It was then that Jaune noticed all of the eyes staring at him. Were it only his friends he could have managed, but with the entire class waiting to see what he would say, perhaps even prepared to record his answer in their notes, he was reduced to a stammering mess.

"W-Well… I-I… the a-answer is…" He let out a defeated sigh. "I don't know." He admitted, hanging his head in shame.

"I see. Quite alright, we are here to learn after all. Anyone else care to answer?" Oobleck brushed off Jaune's mistake and turned to the rest of the class. "Hmm… yes, you in the back again." Jaune turned around to see that he once again called on Neptune, this time the boy being the only one with his hand raised.

"General Pastel Grant, who would go on to prevent the secession of a major settlement in the Battle of Stillwater." Neptune replied without missing a beat.

"Excellent! That is _exactly_ right!" Oobleck confirmed before zipping back to his desk to continue the lecture.

Jaune gave out a frustrated groan, slamming his face against his desk where it remained for the rest of the period.

* * *

The other class that the CR crew all shared was Combat Class, run by Professor Goodwitch. The moment the students walked into the classroom, they could instantly tell that she wasn't in the best of moods. She stood at the front of the training hall on an elevated platform as usual, a sword placed into a sheath on her hip in place of her riding crop, but the aura she exuded spelled danger. Jaune and the gang at least had the luxury of knowing what had put her in such a bad mood, but the rest of the class could only speculate as to the reason, and dread what hell they were about to go through as a result. Once the students were all seated, Glynda addressed them.

"Today students, we shall be returning to basics." She stated before unsheathing her sword at a speed almost too quick to follow. "The one handed longsword is one of the most widely used weapons throughout all of Remnant's history, second only to the spear." She explained, slowly bringing up the sword before her face so that the blade split her features perfectly down the middle. "It's relative simplicity, as well as its almost universal usage across cultures, makes it the ideal introductory weapon taught at most combat schools." Suddenly, she lunged the blade forward, the sound of the air being cut by the swift action surprising many students.

"Now, some of you may be wondering why you should bother keeping up with your swordsmanship when you are now capable of wielding a dust compatible axe that can double as a pump action shotgun or what have you." Glynda claimed, sweeping the class with the accusatory tip of her sword. "Well, if you were to lose your weapon out in the field, chances are the local armory won't be able to provide you with an exact replacement. They _will_ ,however, almost certainly have a decent sword on hand, and when lives depend on you getting the job done, Huntsman and Huntresses cannot be picky about their choice of weapon." She sternly advised them before sheathing her sword.

As soon at the weapon clicked into place, a number of weapons racks rose out from the ground along the perimeter of the training hall, lined with numerous swords.

"Those of you without a personal blade may borrow one from the racks. Once you are properly armed, get into your teams and perform the first three sword forms, without error, at least ten times each." This instruction received many frustrated groans from the students, but they were quickly silenced once Glynda sent a gust of wind through them all from an inhumanly quick slash of her sword.

"Now, I understand that some of you may not be familiar with the standardized sword curriculum." Jaune could swear that Glynda's eyes traveled down to him specifically when she said this, causing him to sink a bit into his seat. "If this applies to any of you, please come up to the stage and I shall instruct you on the first standard sword form." And with that instruction, the class all dispersed, some going to the racks to arm themselves while others went straight into their teams.

"Uggghhh, this is gonna _suck_!" Yang complained as she searched the weapons rack for a suitable blade.

"It's just sword forms, you're good at those." Ruby insisted, happily picking out a sword.

"Yeah, when I was _thirteen_ , it's been so long since I've seriously practiced." Yang rebuked, weighing two swords in her hands before picking the heavier one.

"And _that_ is precisely the reason for this exercise." Weiss haughtily jabbed, ignoring Yang's glare as she choose a sword for herself. "Neptune, do you need help choosing a sword, I believe I see one over here that would most definitely suit you." She uncharacteristically offered, seeing the boy fiddling around in a case he brought that presumably held his personal weapon.

"As much as I appreciate you thinking about me, I'm all good." Neptune respectfully, yet somehow also flirtatiously, declined the offer. Weiss's confused look was answered when Neptune pulled something out of his case, flipped a switch on it, and out popped a long grey blade decorated with an ornate light grey pattern. Ruby gasped in amazement before dashing up to Neptune with her Semblance.

"Whoa~! A collapsible sword!" Ruby gushed, eyes twinkling as she admired the weapon.

"It's nothing _too_ fancy, just something to whip out in a pinch, you know?" Neptune claimed, holding the blade at various angles for Ruby to get a better look at the weapon in its entirety.

"Yeah, but that's what makes it _cool_!" Ruby squealed, her hands fidgeting in the air as if desiring to the take the blade from him.

"Well, "cool" or not," Weiss interrupted, lightly pushing Ruby out of the way as she approached Neptune. "You still require a sheath for the form." She informed as she handed him one she had taken from an unused sword on the rack.

"That I do." Neptune said before slipping the sword in. Even Jaune could tell that the blade didn't quite fit, but Neptune fiddled a bit with a dial on the side of the sheath and it began changing its size until it was a more appropriate length and width for the blade. "Perfect fit, thanks Snow Angel." He said with a flirtation wink, the girl in question once again showing no aversion to the name.

Jaune looked down at his own sword, pulling it out of the sheath a bit to see the scratched and stained blade that paled in comparison to Neptune's, or even the swords provided by the school. He let out a sigh as he slid it back into place.

"Well, I better get up to the stage, I'll see you guys after class." Jaune said, separating from his friends and climbing onto the elevated platform that was the stage of the training hall. Jaune expected to the only one in attendance to Professor Goodwitch's impromptu sword lesson, but was rather surprised to find a few other students standing on stage with him, including some familiar faces.

"Blake? Sun? What are you guys doing up here?" Jaune asked baffled that such skilled fighters would be taking what essentially amounted to a catch-up lesson.

"I was raised outside the kingdoms, learning to fight was a matter of survival so I'm not familiar with the standardized sword forms taught by combat schools." Blake explained as she tied the sheathed sword to her hip.

"I was taught how to fight by a Zenist temple in Vacuo, ancient techniques passed down through the generations and stuff. So yeah, this is all new to me too." Sun elaborated, swinging his borrowed sword around as if to get a feel for it.

"Oh… but Blake, you already know how to use a sword. Why bother learning a form?" Jaune inquired.

"I know how to use _my_ sword, and others like it, but Gambol Shroud is far from a one handed longsword." Blake replied.

"Not every sword is created equal, they're all made with a specific purpose in mind, so they all need specific training to use them properly in a fight, like any other weapon." Sun added, as he seemed to finish his evaluation of the sword. "Heck, even just swinging this thing around is pretty awkward for me, I can't imagine trying to do any of the forms that _I_ learned with a sword like this." He concluded, Blake nodding in agreement.

"Huh…" Jaune hummed in fascination. It was a lot of information to digest, and it brought up the thought that most of the students on the stage with him probably didn't go to a traditional combat school either. When he had failed to enroll himself in one all those years ago, he just sort of… gave up; it never really occurred to him that there were other options. Suddenly, the excuse he had been using to justify his lack of skill compared to his classmates no longer seemed very valid.

"Alright students, let's begin." Professor Goodwitch instructed, all of the students falling into line. "I will start by showing you the first three major steps in the sword form. Please follow along as best you can." She said, receiving a compliant nod from the students.

With that, Professor Goodwitch began slowly performing the steps she wanted them to learn, the students all imitating her. Jaune felt a little awkward with some of the steps, but for the most part he was able to follow along. He thought he was doing an ok job, until curiosity got the best of him and he looked over to see how Sun and Blake were doing. It was strange, they were performing the exact same moves, but even he could tell that they were far more confident in their motions than he was, despite claiming to be beginners themselves.

Once they got to a step that required them to turn, Jaune got a look at how his teammates were doing, and that was where his confidence took a nosedive. With their teams fractured, the remaining members of RWBY, JNPR, and SSSN formed a large group of their own, performing the sword form in near perfect synch. Each member of the group had steps they were obviously more comfortable with than others, but even with the occasional misstep their form and concentration were like something out of an action movie. Eventually, Goodwitch instructed them to turn back around, and with Jaune distracted, he turned a bit too quickly and tangled his feet, tripping on himself and falling to the ground. Some of the students laughed at his fumble while Professor Goodwitch just let out an irritated sigh.

"Fret not, Mr. Arc, just stand up and try again." She tried to sound encouraging, but it was hard to seem supportive when she was messaging the bridge of her nose with an annoyed scowl on her face.

"Y-Yes ma'am." Jaune complied, Sun helping to pull him back on his feet. He let out a discontent sigh and began following along again, but he just couldn't really put much energy into it.

* * *

"I can't believe we didn't manage to get through the whole set!" Weiss griped, hands on her hips and a grimace on her face. Once the school day had finished, the teams retired to the CR, where Weiss immediately began chastising the Rose-Xiao Long siblings for their apparently poor performance during combat class. "Honestly, how could the two of you let yourselves get so out of practice!?"

"We said we were sorry." Ruby meekly replied.

"I don't get what the big deal is, we can fight just fine with a sword if we need to, who cares if we don't remember a few steps in a form." Yang argued.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure the final exam for graduation is going to require a demonstration of the sword forms." Neptune interjected, much to Yang and Ruby's shock.

"Exactly, which means we all need to keep up with our fundamentals from now on, understand!"

" **Yes, ma'am.** " The sisters replied in unison, hanging their heads in shame.

"You sure Weiss isn't the leader?" Neptune stage whispered to Sun.

"Positive." Sun replied with a teasing smirk.

"Oh, I know, we should all get together and help Blake, Jaune, and Sun learn their forms!" Ruby happily proposed.

"Oh, that's ok, you don't need to do that." Jaune attempted to decline.

"It would be as much for us as it would be for you. Dad always said that the best way to remember something is to teach it." Ruby elaborated on the idea.

"Well that sounds grand." Pyrrha declared. "I don't think we've ever had a joint training session before."

"It would be a good chance for everyone to polish their weak points." Ren concurred.

"Not to mention it would be super FUN!" Nora agreed gleefully.

' _Great, another chance to see just how inferior I am to everyone else, can't wait…_ ' Jaune lamented in his head. He couldn't help but stop listening as his friends began planning out the joint venture together, Sun and Neptune happy to be included.

He didn't want to seem ungrateful, he knew that he really needed the help, but it didn't make it any less frustrating. Since Beacon had begun, Jaune had tried his best not to compare himself to his friends and classmates. He knew from the start that he was starting at a lower place than they were, and besides, he wasn't really there to become a Huntsman anyway, he was there to fight Bugsters as a member of the CR.

But of course, his fellow CR members were all Huntsmen and Huntresses in training themselves; there was that inescapable overlap that the majority of the Kamen Riders fighting against the Bugster Virus alongside him were also capable Huntsman trainees, leaving Jaune as the odd man out. This didn't bother him so much when it was just Ren, he was a friend and a teammate, they had absolute faith in each other, and even when Sun entered the picture his less than stellar first impression gave Jaune the chance to connect with him. But then along came Neptune, who at every turn proved himself to be everything Jaune wasn't. He was a diligent student, a highly skilled warrior, and a charismatic "cool guy" who could get along with just about anybody, especially the ladies. He was essentially everything Jaune wanted to be as a student of Beacon Academy, and now that he was their newest Kamen Rider, it left Jaune feeling more than just a little inadequate.

' _They… They really don't need somebody like me, do they…?_ '

Jaune's thoughts were interrupted by one of the Game Scopes ringing, which turned out to be Weiss's.

"Hello, this is the Cyber Rescue Center." Weiss answered the call. "…Yes, understood, we will send someone right away." She informed the caller before hanging up.

"We got a patient?" Blake asked.

"Yes, he collapsed in the middle of a park in Vale. We need to hurry before it breaks out in public." She urged the group, who all nodded in agreement.

"Alright, so who are we sending?" Neptune asked, stopping his fellow Riders from all running off at once.

"Uh… what do you mean?" Jaune said quizzically.

"Well, we can't _all_ go, or at least we shouldn't. A hospital doesn't send every single surgeon it has into one surgery, somebody's gotta stay behind incase there's another call." Neptune explained.

The CR crew all exchanged understanding looks, in retrospect it was an obvious strategy. They had been fortunate enough to only have to deal with a single case at a time, but now that they had more Riders on hand, it made sense to get into the habit of keeping a few on standby, especially if they ever have to deal with another outbreak comparable to Zero Day.

"Ok, then how about we send our newest Rider," Pyrrha gestured to Neptune. "Along with our most veteran Rider," She gestured to Jaune. "So he may "show him the ropes", as they say."

"Sounds good to me." Neptune agreed, looking over to Jaune to see his opinion.

"Uh… yeah, sure." Jaune awkwardly complied.

"I wanna go too!" Ruby declared, shooting up from her seat. "I wanna see the new Kamen Rider in action!"

"I'll go as well, a good doctor needs a competent nurse after all." Weiss volunteered, earning a wink and smile from Neptune.

Jaune was already regretting this decision.

* * *

The CR had access to a private Bullhead that allowed for quick transportation between Beacon and Vale. The moment they landed in town they rushed to the park specified by the caller and there they found a panicked woman kneeling over a man collapsed on the ground.

"Rensuke… Rensuke!" She pleaded as she shook the man to keep him from losing consciousness.

"Are you the one who put in the call?" Ruby inquired, dashing over and kneeling beside the woman.

"Uh… y-yes, but who…?" The woman stammered, clearly skeptical.

"Don't worry, we're here to help." Weiss assured her as she strutted over with a professional grace that nearly made the woman overlook her age. "Please move aside." Weiss instructed as she equipped her Game Scope. Ruby guided the woman off to the side, allowing Weiss to examine the patient's condition, activating the Game Scope to find a bouncing heart icon floating on the image of the patient.

"Does that heart thing mean he's infected?" Neptune inquired.

"It's not always a heart, but yes, an icon of any kind means infection." Weiss confirmed.

"Come on, let's get him to the Bullhead." Jaune said, guiding Neptune to help him carry the patient.

However, before they could even get a grip on the man, his body began glitching, black Bugster Blisters bubbling to the surface for a moment, causing him to scream out in pain and struggle against being picked up.

"What's happening? What are those things that keep coming out of him?" The woman frantically asked.

"Guys, I don't think we'll make it in time if we leave now." Ruby cautioned, the critical state of the patient plain for all to see.

"She's right, it'll be a disaster if the Bugster breaks out while the Bullhead's in the air." Weiss lamented.

"Well… then I guess we'll just have to deal with it right here." Neptune declared, revealing the fourth and final Gamer Driver and strapping it on.

As if sensing the danger, the patient ceased his struggling and returned to his feet, his eyes glowing bright red.

"…Foolish adventurer, do you truly believe yourself worthy of facing my magic…!?" He taunted in a voice clearly not his own. It was then that his body became over taken by the Bugster Union, taking the shape of a wall-mounted torch, a grim mask with a single flaming eye placed within, that stood on six spider like legs.

The woman screamed in horror at the man's transformation, Ruby needing to keep her on her feet. After a few moments of stumbling about, the Bugster Union turned its attention to the group and attempted to slam its head on them like a mace. Ruby thought quickly and used her Semblance to get the woman and Jaune to safety, while Weiss and Neptune simply leaped out of the way, landing expertly a few meters back. The moment Neptune landed, he pulled out a sky blue colored Rider Gashat, the label depicting a regale looking knight under the game's title.

" _Taddle Quest!_ " The Gashat announced, followed by a medieval-styled tune. The game screen appeared behind Neptune as the Game Area expanded, scattering a multitude of treasure chests all around the park, one of which nearly landed on Jaune, startling him.

"I _knew_ it, the last game _had_ to be Taddle Quest!" Ruby practically squealed in excitement.

"Taddle…?" The woman said quizzically.

"Taddle Quest, it's a fantasy roll-playing game filled with swords, magic, and monsters." Jaune explained.

"Roll-playing… _game_!?"

Neptune narrowed his gaze at the Bugster Union, meeting its flaming eye for a moment before sliding his goggles over his eyes and holding his Gashat over the Gamer Driver slots.

"Henshin!" He declared, flipping the device over and sliding it into the appropriate slot.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name!_ " The Driver sang as it summoned the ring of avatars. He selected the one immediately to his left, bringing his feet together in an almost regal stance as his body was engulfed with pixelated data. " _I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The avatar icon fused with Neptune, transforming him into Quest Gamer Level 1, his helmet shaped like a knight in shining, sky blue armor, its faceplate a shimmering silver with intense yellow eyes glaring through its eye holes. His Rider Gauge was a similar yellow color, and in his left hand he wielded a small, blue Reversal Shield.

"Alright, let's get this operation started." Neptune said with determination as he summoned a generic looking sword from the Gamer Driver. "I have to defeat this big cluster in "Level 1" form, right?"

"That's right, and once the Bugster is safely separated from the patient, you may eliminate it in your superior "Level 2" form." Weiss explained, confirming what Neptune had heard from Sun.

"Got it, let's get to it then." Neptune declared, brandishing his weapon and charging at the Bugster. He swung his blade at the Union's gangly legs, only for the creature to skitter back and attempt to slam its head on the Rider again. However, Neptune quickly rolled to the side, returning to his feet in time to land two slashes on the creature before it stood back up, skittering away in retreat only for Neptune to give chase.

"So that's the fourth Kamen Rider…" Jaune mused as he watched Neptune fight, the knight in shining armor that he had always wished he could be.

"That's right~!" Poppy exclaimed as she suddenly appeared, presumably from Ruby's scroll, as she was one to do. "That's Kamen Rider Brave, he uses the fantasy RPG Taddle Quest to utilize the power of the heroic knights of legend. Out of all of the Kamen Riders, he is probably the best equipped for one on one, chivalrous combat." She explained like the tutorial guide that she was.

"Um… who exactly are you children?" The civilian woman asked, clearly very confused at the situation.

"I'm afraid explanations will have to wait, ma'am." Weiss said as she approached them. "And what exactly are _you_ doing just standing around? Get in there, you _are_ supposed to be guiding the new recruit, aren't you?" Weiss reprimanded Jaune.

"Uh, r-right!" Jaune responded, immediately equipping his Gamer Driver and stepping forward. He pulled out his Rider Gashat and hit the switch.

" _Mighty Action X!_ " The device announced, spreading its own Game Area and populating the park with Chocolate Blocks.

"Henshin!" Jaune cried with a dramatic pose before slotting in the Gashat into the Driver.

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Driver sang as Jaune assumed Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 1. With a confident roll of his shoulders, he reached down and hit the switch on the Kimewaza Slot Holder.

" _Stage Select!_ " It announced as Jaune skimmed through the stage options.

Meanwhile, Brave was caught in a heated back and forth with the Bugster Union. It began shooting arrows of pure, red energy to keep the Rider at a distance, but he managed to block every single one and never ceased his advance. Little did the Bugster Union know that he was carefully leading it in a particular direction, eventually forcing it up against a particularly large tree.

"Bingo!" Brave exclaimed in triumph, brandishing his sword before going in for the kill.

"Mmm… this one!" Jaune finally picked a stage, the image engulfing the area and transporting them to what seemed to be the ruins of a medieval castle. The walls and towers of the once proud fortress were broken and weathered away; only a few towers still standing with chipped stone debris strewn all about. But most importantly, the trees of the park, including the one trapping the Bugster Union, disappeared from the area, allowing the Bugster to stumble back out of the way of Brave's decisive strike.

"Huh? What the… where…?" Brave stammered in confusion. However, he had little time to dwell on it as he was forced to avoid a new volley of red arrows, stepping back until he managed to ready himself to block them again.

"Sorry for the wait." Ex-Aid said as he stepped forward to stand by Brave's side.

"No problem. Say, what's with the sudden change of scenery." Brave asked, finding the chance once the Bugster Union also seemed to examine its new surroundings.

"Oh, I did that." Ex-Aid admitted. "The park may have been empty now, but if we fight the Bugster out in the open, people are gonna notice."

"So, you sent us to the old ruins of Pembrook?"

"Uh… I guess? I could have sent us anywhere, but I figured since your game is a fantasy RPG that a castle was the best place for you to fight." Ex-Aid explained.

Just then, the Bugster Union let out a loud shriek, grabbing everyone's attention as it leapt up onto one of the destroyed towers, fusing with it as it rebuilt the wall around it with the red energy from its Game Area. From small indents in the wall, the Bugster Union began firing a barrage of red arrows at the CR crew, Ruby once again using her Semblance to get Weiss and the civilian woman to cover while Brave and Ex-Aid were left to frantically evade the rain of projectiles.

"Oh yeah, this is _soooo_ much better!" Brave chided as he blocked and slashed away arrows with his sword and shield.

"H-Hold on, I can fix this!" Jaune insisted as he leaped around to evade the arrows. It was then that he noticed the series of chests strewn behind him. "Hey, cover me, I've got an idea!" Ex-Aid instructed before making his way to the chests.

"What? Hey, wait!" Brave demanded before he got nicked in the shoulder by an arrow, forcing his attention back to the Bugster. Meanwhile, Ex-Aid opened the closest chest, revealing a Clone Energy Item.

"Nope." He said in disappointment before moving on to the next one, opening it to reveal the no item at all. "Empty." He moved on to the next, only to get a Stretch Energy Item. "Come on, give me Reflect, or Invisible!" He demanded before moving on to the next one. All the while, Brave was desperately trying to protect him, as was asked of him, but was starting to grow weary of moving from side to side as Ex-Aid hopped around from chest to chest.

"I'm waiting on that plan of yours, dude!" Brave pleaded.

"I'm working on it!" Ex-Aid replied as he rushed to the next available chest. However, once he struggled to open it, he noticed the golden lock that held the lid shut. "Ah, I forgot, some of them are locked!"

"What?" Brave shouted in confusion.

He cursed internally once he realized that he lost focus, but then he noticed that he wasn't getting bombarded with arrows as a result. Ex-Aid noticed this as well and turned to see that the arrows had stopped coming, the indents where they came from now all having a loading icon above them.

"Huh? I guess they need to reload or something." Brave suggested quizzically.

"Perfect!" Ex-Aid declared as he sprang into action. He leaped over Brave onto some Chocolate Blocks that he summoned, hopping all the way to the tower. Then, with a powerful kick, he knocked the Bugster Union down, along with the wall it had created.

"Dude, what was that all about, what were you even trying to do?" Brave interrogated his fellow Rider.

"What you _should_ have been doing." Ex-Aid replied, much to Brave's confusion. "If you were struggling so much, you should've tried to open a chest. You've been completely ignoring them the entire fight. Haven't you ever played a game before?"

"Of course I have, but this _isn't_ a game, it's a serious, life or death operation!" Brave argued.

"I know that, but the item boxes were put here to help us, we can't just ignore them!" Ex-Aid rebuked.

"Oh yeah, cause they were such a great help this time." Brave adamantly shot back, much to Ex-Aid's annoyance. While the argued, Ruby noticed that the Bugster Union was clumsily returning to its feet, the bickering Riders none the wiser.

"Ex-Aid!" Ruby cried.

"Brave!" Weiss added.

" **Behind you!** " They warned in unison.

The two Riders returned their attention to the enemy just in time to see it jump into the air, looming over them and threatening to crush them. They both leaped out of the way, Ex-Aid landing awkwardly and rolling onto his back, while Brave stuck his landing and immediately reengaged the creature.

"Hey, over here!" He goaded it, grabbing its attention away from the prone Ex-Aid. "That's right, come to papa." Brave taunted as he brandished his sword, the blade suddenly coating itself with a bright, sky blue energy that doubled its reach.

With a loud shriek, the Bugster Union charged towards Brave, only to get sliced in half by a single slash of his empowered blade, a follow up overhead slash finishing it off as its body dissolved into pixels. Brave grunted as his Rider Gauge let out a few sparks, decreasing by nearly half, and if that wasn't enough, his sword also snapped in half as well, apparently unable to handle the power of Brave's own attack.

Out from the explosion of black pixels came the patient, Rensuke's, unconscious body, slightly transparent and still lightly sparking. Ex-Aid noticed the extreme height and quickly leaped onto a few Chocolate Blocks to retrieve him, lowering him safely to the others.

"Rensuke!" The woman exclaimed, rushing to his side.

Before Ex-Aid could offer some words of sympathy, the remaining particles of the Bugster Union all came together to form what seemed to be a tall, humanoid dragon with blood red skin and deep black eyes. A Grimm mask covered half of its face, and it wore white robes that also featured the same ornate detailing of the mask. In its hands was a red staff, topped with a red, perfectly cut crystal that glowed ominously as the Bugster gripped the handle in its hands.

"Ignorant fools, you dare face me with such pitiful might?" It arrogantly taunted the Riders.

"So that's the true form of the Bugster?" Brave deduced.

"Yeah, it's Aranbura, an evil draconic mage from the Taddle Quest series." Ex-Aid explained.

"Well, whatever he is, he's going down." Brave declared, reaching down to the pink lever on the Gamer Driver. However, before either Rider could level up, they caught the distinct sound of a blaster firing, managing to step out of the way of a few laser blasts shot in their direction. "What the…?"

"Him again?" Ex-Aid cursed, recognizing the blast as the ammunition of the Gashacon Bugvisor. Naturally, he assumed it was the work of the Black Ex-Aid, however, out from the shadows brandishing the still smoking Bugvisor, was a green dragon like creature whose Grimm mask denoted it as a Bugster. "Huh? Another… Bugster?"

"Ahh! The prototype Bugvisor!" Poppy exclaimed, recognizing the device equipped to the Bugster's single red arm.

"Then that means…" Ruby realized.

" _That's_ the Bugster causing all of the infections." Weiss stated, giving the creature a hateful glare. The Bugster just scoffed at them, flashing out of existence for a moment before appearing behind the Aranbura Bugster a moment later.

"Hey, do you have water magic?" The green Bugster whispered to Aranbura.

"What? O-Of course I do, but it is admittedly my weakest element, little more than a parlor trick." Aranbura replied hesitantly.

"Use it."

"What?"

"Use it, _now_." The green Bugster practically demanded.

"…Hmph, very well, as you share the blood of the dragons, I shall heed your judgment for now." Aranbura complied, brandishing his staff as the crystal on the tip glowed brightly.

"Two-on-one or two-on-two, you're still not winning this game! Dai-Henshin!" Ex-Aid announced, posing dramatically before reaching for the lever.

"You're toast either way!" Brave added, going to level up as well.

"Sur- _Pash!_ " The Aranbura Bugster cried, holding his staff to the air as a ball of water appeared over the crystal.

"Huh?" Brave froze as he took notice of the sphere of liquid that just so happened to begin growing in size. "Whoa… whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on just a second! M-Maybe we can talk about this!" He stammered as he suddenly took shelter behind Ex-Aid, frantically grabbing him by the shoulders and preventing him from leveling up.

"Eh? W-What are you doing? Let go!" Ex-Aid demanded, but the more he struggled, the more desperately Brave held on to him.

"Begone!" The Aranbura Bugster shouted as it threw the ball of water at the Riders, Brave cowering behind Ex-Aid as the ball splashed all over the duo. The force behind the spell was two miniscule to cause any significant damage, but it was enough to make Ex-Aid stumble back a bit and thus slip on the wet floor, sending both Riders tumbling to the ground.

"Wahhh! Help! Help me! I'm… I'm… not… drowning." Brave realized after spending a few seconds squirming on the ground in the puddle.

"Of course you're not! It was just a rudimentary Splash Spell!" Ex-Aid stated as he stood up and tried to shake himself dry.

"Oh… I… Hey, where did they go?" Brave said, shooting to his feet once he noticed that the two dragon Bugsters were nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Oh no, they're gone!" Ex-Aid cried in disbelief, looking all around in a desperate attempt to spot them.

"They made a break for it after they hit you with that Splash Spell." Ruby clarified as she approached them.

"Damn it!" Jaune cursed.

Meanwhile, Brave glanced down at his now useless sword sitting in the shallow puddle of water. He reached down to pick it up only to notice that his hand was shaking. He clenched his fist as he abandoned the effort, opting instead to just kick the shattered blade in frustration.

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it folks, the fourth and final Kamen Rider of this crossover is none other than Neptune Vasilias. I understand that this casting choice may be a bit controversial, after all Neptune isn't exactly a dead ringer for the** **genius surgeon Kagami Hiiro that we all know and love, but I tried my best to expand on his characterization without actually changing what we know about him from the canon.**

 **For example, the smarts he demonstrated in this chapter comes from an impression I got from Neptune when he was first introduced to RWBY and JNPR. The way he deflected Sun's comment of calling him a "nerd" in favor of being called an "intellectual" kind of made it seem like it was something he had to do on a regular basis, so I think it's safe to say that he is at least book smart. I also used the combat class scene to expand a bit on how exactly combat schools go about training potential Huntsman and Huntresses. The way Ruby seemed confident enough to wield one of Penny's swords against a Nevermore in Vol. 3 Ch. 10 served as the inspiration to make it so that all students train with a sword before they decide on their personal weapons. It also allowed me to explain how Neptune would be able to wield a sword proficiently as Brave, as some reviewers have brought to my attention.**

 **Neptune's portrayal as the ideal Huntsman in training also allowed me to play around with Jaune's insecurities about being a gamer amongst Huntsman that was briefly touched upon last chapter. I know that came across as something I just threw in there and then forgot about, but it's actually a theme that's going to persist in this story, at least for the first act, so it was more of a tease than a mistake. And of course, there's Neptune's fear of water. I think that fact alone and how it was played for laughs in the show is the primary reason that Neptune is seen as a joke character to some, and by extension, why he wouldn't fit as Kamen Rider Brave. However, while it may seem like I'm going the same route as the show in this chapter, I want to try to play Neptune's hydrophobia straight in this story, you'll see how that plays out in the next chapter... whenever that will be.**

 **Well, that's all I've got to say for now, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you all next time.**


	8. The Doctor and the Gamer

**A/N: SURPRISE! Back to back chapters! So yeah, these were meant to be one whole chapter, but it was kind of getting a bit too long, and unlike Ch. 6 I felt like there was enough story beats in each half to split it into two chapters. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Ex-Aid or RWBY**

* * *

 **The Doctor and the Gamer**

"You really surprised me, Graphite." Pallad said as he heard Graphite return, the sounds of his Game Pad echoing throughout the abandoned building. "When you suddenly left saying you were going to ensure that our new comrade survived, I thought you were going to try and eliminate the Kamen Riders. I'm glad you decided to show some restraint." He praised his comrade, though he never looked up from his game.

"If you really believed I would do that, you wouldn't have let me leave in the first place." Graphite stated, having learned by now to take Pallad's words with a huge grain of salt. "Of course, that's not to say the temptation wasn't there, but I knew I would pay for it later, so I held back." He claimed, taking a seat on a nearby pipe.

"Destiny is like a puzzle, it'll only reveal itself if you have all of the pieces, and like it or not, the Kamen Riders are a piece that we can't do without." Pallad lectured, which was exactly what Graphite wanted to avoid.

As comrades and fellow Bugsters, there was a certain degree of respect between them, but Graphite really hated the round about way that Pallad did things. If it were up to him, they would have declared all out war against the humans from the very beginning, but the fact of the matter was Pallad was stronger than him, just how much stronger was still a mystery, but regardless of the exact numbers, disobeying him was foolhardy.

"By the way, where's our new comrade?" Pallad inquired, finally looking up from the screen, though only because he had completed the level.

"Don't know, after I told him we were holding up in an old warehouse he refused to come, said it was "beneath" him or something." Graphite explained in slight irritation.

"Yeah, that does sound like Aranbura, being both a powerful mage and a member of the draconic race has made him pretty arrogant." Pallad mused.

"Tell me about it, I made sure to tell him to steer clear of the Kamen Riders until he had a plan, but I think the only reason he bothered hearing me out was because I'm part dragon too." Graphite griped.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Pallad insisted. "We Bugsters are viruses after all, it's programed into our DNA to prioritize our completion over everything else. He'll know exactly what to do to stress out his host, and the best way to do it. The only real question," He paused as he began a new level in his game. "Is if the players will rise to the challenge."

* * *

" **It was all** _ **his**_ **fault!** " Jaune and Neptune accused in unison, pointing incriminatingly at each other. The CR crew had returned to Beacon with Rensuke in tow, getting him situated in the quarantine room before explaining to the rest just how badly the operation had gone. Needless to say, Jaune and Neptune had very different opinions on the matter.

" _My_ fault? _You_ were the one who freaked out at the end and let the Bugsters get away!" Jaune accused.

"Well, if you hadn't brought us to that stupid castle, I could have wrapped up the fight a lot more quickly, and that other Bugster wouldn't have even had a chance to butt in!" Neptune shot back.

"I told you, we can't fight the Bugsters in public!"

"You also said we could have gone anywhere else, but you just _had_ to take us to the one battlefield where the Bugster Union had the advantage!"

"It only had an "advantage" because _you_ weren't playing right!"

"I wasn't _playing_ at all!"

"Alright, break it up ladies, you're _both_ pretty." Yang said teasingly as she stepped in between the feuding Kamen Riders. The two shot each other an annoyed glare before backing off. "Listen new guy, I know this whole video game angle is kind of freaky and hard to swallow, but give Jaune's advice a chance, it hasn't steered us wrong yet." Yang deliberated.

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Neptune refuted, crossing his arms and standing his ground.

"Come on guys, can't we just agree to disagree and move on." Sun pleaded, partially to avoid picking a side.

"In Neptune's defense, Ex-Aid did hinder more than he helped." Weiss interjected.

"But he didn't do anything wrong either, he and Brave just didn't… mesh well, probably because it was their first time fighting together." Ruby quickly jumped to Jaune's defense.

"He fought perfectly well with you during initiation." Weiss recalled the battle with the Bancho Bugster.

"Yeah, because we _both_ played by the rules of the game." Ruby argued.

"Maybe he's just bad at video games." Nora playfully suggested.

"I'll have you know I'm _great_ at video games," Neptune claimed.

"He's about average." Sun quickly corrected.

"But _this_ is not a video game, or at the very least we shouldn't treat it like one." He proclaimed.

"Well, that's how _we've_ been fighting this whole time, and it's worked out perfectly fine, right guys?" Jaune turned to his fellow Riders, hoping for some back up. However, what he got instead were awkward looks and fidgeting. "Guys? Ren?"

"...Of course I take into account the mechanics of the games that our equipment and enemies are based off of, but only as a means of adapting my combat style to the situation, as I've been trained to do." Ren calmly, but hesitantly explained.

"Yeah, I mean, we're playing, but we're not _playing_. Not the way you are." Sun added.

Jaune was visibly shaken, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open in shock. He looked to the remainder of his team, neither one able to look him in the eye. The same could be said for Yang and Blake, and Weiss was more than happy to meet him with an icy cold gaze that told him he was in the wrong. He looked to Ruby, his eyes pleading, but Ruby could only muster a sympathetic look when she managed to find the strength to meet his eyes.

Jaune was brutally reminded that he was a gamer, a lowly civilian, in a room full of Huntsmen and Huntresses.

He hung his head for a moment before marching for the door.

"Jaune, wait!" Pyrrha pleaded to him. He seemed to heed her request, stopping in the middle of the doorway.

"…I'm going to go look for the lady that called us, maybe she can help keep the patient calm." He said in a low, almost emotionless voice before taking his leave.

"Jaune…" Ruby said, full of regret.

"…I'm going to go check on the patient." Neptune stated, descending the stairs into the quarantine room, leaving the rest of the CR to wallow in the tension they both left behind.

The automatic door opened to reveal Poppy monitoring the patient's status with the various equipment installed on the bed, Rensuke himself laying flat on his back, partially transparent, and in clear discomfort.

"How is he doing?" Neptune asked.

"He's stable, for now, but we can only do so much for him here." She replied, a concerned look on her face that contrasted her bright and colorful appearance.

"Right, what we really need to do is take out the Bugster." Neptune stated, a hint of guilt in his voice.

"Um, excuse me." Rensuke weakly breathed, sitting up as best he could. "Is Asami outside with you?"

"Asami? Is she the lady who called us?" Rensuke nodded his confirmation. "She… kind of ran off after we separated you from the Bugster." Neptune hesitantly informed him, his disappointment clearly showing on his face.

"…I see." He said before he began sparking, the pain returning to his chest and the machines blaring.

"B-But that doesn't mean she's not worried!" Neptune quickly recovered.

"That's right, she was _reeaaallly~_ concerned about you the whole time, honest!" Poppy corroborated.

"…Right… of course she would be." Rensuke agreed, relaxing enough to bring him back from a critical state. Neptune and Poppy sighed in relief, Neptune pulling up a chair and sitting at Rensuke's bedside.

"Look man, I wouldn't be too worried about it, she struck me as the kind of girl that cares _too_ much to be able to handle seeing her loved one suffering in a hospital bed." He casually assured him, gaining a light chuckle from the patient.

"Yeah, that's her alright." He said with a nostalgic smile.

"You're a pretty lucky guy." Neptune praised, only for Rensuke's smile to instantly fade.

"I thought I was the luckiest guy in the world. Today was our three year anniversary, but I've known for a long time that she was the only one for me." He said somberly, further proving Neptune's suspicions. "I rushed home from my last mission in order to celebrate with her."

"You're a Huntsman?" Neptune inquired. It was tough to tell with his casual clothing, but upon closer inspection Rensuke certainly had the physique of someone who underwent intense combat training.

"Yeah, graduated from Beacon Academy in fact." He confirmed.

"I see. So you rush home from a mission, meet up with the love of your life to celebrate your anniversary, only to end up getting dumped. And that's when your chest started hurting?" Neptune posited.

"Not exactly." Rensuke denied, much to Neptune's confusion. "I… I asked her to marry me, and she said no."

"Yikes." Neptune gasped.

"That's _way_ worse than just getting dumped." Poppy said, cringing at the awkwardness of such a situation.

"I just… I just don't understand what went wrong." Rensuke lamented, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "I've gone over it in my head hundreds of times, but we've been perfectly happy all this time. The more I think about it, the more I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her… but I guess she just doesn't feel the same way." The pain returned, figuratively and literally, Rensuke letting out loud groans as the machines started going crazy again.

"Wah! P-Please hang in there, mister!" Poppy pleaded as she returned to the controls, trying her best to keep Rensuke stable.

"Don't worry sir." Neptune said, standing from his seat and giving Rensuke a comforting smile. "We'll have you cured in no time, then you can patch things up with your girl."

"…Do you really think I can?" Rensuke asked.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I promise you we'll give you the chance." Neptune assured him with a determined look in his eye.

With that promise made, Neptune left the quarantine room, the confident look on his face fading away as soon as the doors closed behind him. He recalled the confrontation with the Aranbura Bugster, his hand beginning to shake as he recalled watching the magically conjured ball of water grow in size. He remembered how he coward behind Ex-Aid, spinelessly trying to shield himself from what amounted to little more than a poolside splash. Even as he told himself this, his hand continued to shake, eventually balling into a fist that Neptune sent slamming into the wall with a discouraged grunt.

"Idiot! What's the matter with you, it was just… water." He reprimanded himself, even as his legs shook at the memory.

"And a miniscule amount at that." Neptune jumped as he heard Weiss's voice. She sat in one of the chairs placed in the hallway outside of the quarantine room, Neptune having been too caught up in his thoughts to notice.

"Oh, uh, h-hey Weiss, didn't see you there." Neptune said, flashing a charming smile in a desperate attempt to save face.

"You know, there's no shame in it."

"…In what?"

"Being afraid of water." Weiss clarified.

"…What? No. No, no, no. I'm not…" Neptune attempted to deny, but a dubious look from Weiss immediately made him crumble. He let out a halfhearted sigh before taking a seat in the chair at her side. "Alright, you caught me… I'm a total hydrophobe." He reluctantly admitted, laying his head on the wall behind him in defeat.

"And like I said, there's no shame in that." Weiss repeated.

"Yeah, well, I know plenty of people who would disagree with you." Neptune rebuked. "I grew up in a costal town in Mistral, mastering the ocean was what separated the cool kids from losers."

"I see. Is that why you've been trying so hard to seem "cool", trying to reinvent yourself?" Weiss postulated. Neptune let out a light chuckle in response.

"You saw threw that, huh?" He said with an awkward smile and a hand playing in his hair.

"Of _course_ I did, I've met enough smooth-talking imbeciles to know empty bravado when I see it." Weiss disclosed, her arms crossed and head held high to demonstrate her pride.

"Right… so, why did you bother humoring me?" Neptune asked, curious.

"Honestly, I'm not to sure myself." Weiss admitted, returning her hands to her lap. "Perhaps it was sympathy… or, maybe empathy."

"Empathy?" Neptune wondered.

"…Let's just say I have experience with trying so hard to be something your not." Weiss said with a sympathetic smile. Neptune smiled in return, but it quickly faded.

"Weiss, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Was I being too harsh before, shifting all the blame on Jaune?" Neptune inquired, sincere doubt in his voice. "I'll be honest, part of it was because I was ashamed of the whole _water_ thing, but I meant a lot of the things I said."

"I could tell, and just for the record, I happen to agree with your points." Weiss acknowledged.

"It's all just so… _stupid!_ I know Genm Corp. is a gaming company, but why did they have to make the weapon that's supposed to save humanity so infuriating to use!" Neptune irritably protested. "Like, you know that attack I used to finish off the Bugster Union? Did you know that not only did it cut my already depleting Rider Gauge in half, but it also broke my sword? I mean, why would you give the guy risking his life to save an innocent person a weapon that couldn't even handle a rudimentary finishing move; because that's how it was in the _game!?_ "

"You think _that's_ bad? Those item boxes actually have items that can _hinder_ you rather than help!" Weiss denounced.

"Not to mention some of them are just _floating_ in the sky where I can barely reach!"

"And apparently if your Rider Gauge actually does manage to reach zero, the Driver _kills_ you!"

" _Kills me!?_ "

"A "Game Over", as Poppy calls it."

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" Neptune cried in exasperation.

"I'm afraid not." Weiss lamented in similar frustration.

However, a moment later, the two couldn't help but share a laugh, happy to finally have someone to complain about all the madness with.

"But you know what I _really_ can't stand." Neptune stated, returning to a serious tone. "The way Jaune kept calling it a game. Did you know that being a member of the CR actually puts you on the same level as a real doctor? We are _literally_ medical professionals being trusted to save someone's life, by the kingdom and the people who would suffer if we failed. I just… I can't accept his way of doing things, not when I think about what's at stake." He professed, glancing back at the door of the quarantine room.

"Then don't." Weiss answered simply.

"What?"

"If you can't accept how he does things, then don't. I certainly haven't, and the other's aren't completely in favor of it either." Weiss clarified.

"Yeah, but, won't that make fighting together kind of…"

"Difficult?" Neptune nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought at first too." Weiss said with a hint of remorse. "When I was assigned to Team RWBY, I just couldn't accept Ruby as the leader; she was immature, brash, and just didn't seem to be taking her role very seriously." She recalled. "I was convinced that there had to be some kind of mistake, that _I_ was the best suited to be leader. But, then I got some advice, from… a very _unlikely_ source." She cringed a bit. "I realized that no amount of hemming and hawing was going to change things, and that the best thing to do was to focus on my _own_ training. Sure, Ruby still doesn't live up to my standards, but that doesn't mean she won't be a good leader, and that I can't be a good teammate." She gave Neptune a soft, encouraging smile, which Neptune eventually returned.

"…Yeah, you're right." He agreed, his eyes brimming with new resolve.

* * *

Jaune sat on a bench in the park, hanging his head as he let out a loud sigh. He had fully intended on going to look for Asami, but once he had made it into the city, he realized that he knew next to nothing about her. Where she lived, where she worked, even her full name, these were all a mystery to him, and with nothing to go on he simply returned to the park hoping to spot her again. This, of course, gave him plenty of time to be alone with his own thoughts, which almost immediately turned to what happened in the CR.

"…Idiot! How could you just run away like that?" Jaune criticized himself. "What did you expect? Of course you're the weird one for treating all of this like a video game."

"…But what's wrong with that?" Jaune argued. "It's been working so far, and it's obviously how Genm Corp. intended for the Gamer Drivers to be used."

"…Doesn't mean you have to shout out your gaming catchphrase at the beginning of every fight… I guess from the outside, it really would look like I'm not taking it very seriously." He conceded.

As high as the stakes were, he couldn't deny the rush of excitement he got whenever he transformed, ready to give the coming challenge everything he had. He always had fun with it, the same pure, genuine fun he always had when he played video games, but as it turned out, he was the only one in the CR who was experiencing that sense of fun. Everyone else was treating it like a mission, the same kind they would take on once they've graduated and became full-fledged Huntsmen and Huntresses; between the two, it was obvious which attitude was the more appropriate one to have.

Jaune pulled out his scroll, opening the digital Student ID that he had received upon completing initiation. Everybody at Beacon had worked so hard to get this one simple file on their scrolls; years of blood, sweat, and tears… and Jaune just lucked into it.

"…I really don't belong here, do I?" He sighed in anguish, throwing his head back and staring at the cloudless sky.

Suddenly, his Game Scope started ringing, startling Jaune and causing him to fumble with it a bit before answering.

"Hello?"

"Have you found her yet?" Weiss inquired, her voice flat and cold as usual.

"Uh, well…"

"I'll take that as a no." She said, not even bothering to sound disappointed. "Thankfully, Neptune and I have managed to find a lead." She informed him. Jaune flinched a bit at the mention of Kamen Rider Brave; it seemed this day would just be one gut punch after another. "Apparently, Ms. Asami Goda is rather religious, and seeing as her boyfriend of three years has been hospitalized, if she isn't here with him then she is more than likely praying for his recovery at a local chapel."

"Wow, that's great to hear!" Jaune said, thankful for the solid lead.

"Neptune is already on his way there." Weiss said, Jaune's mood instantly dropping.

"Oh… ok." Weiss let out an annoyed sigh.

"You don't have to sound like a kicked puppy, Arc. Ms. Asami is the cause of the patient's stress, having rejected his marriage proposal."

"Ouch."

"Precisely. The uncertainty he feels in regards to the status of their relationship is causing him great stress." She explained.

"Which means… the Bugster will definitely target her!" Jaune said, shooting up from his seat.

"And despite the catastrophe that was your first battle together, having both of you on the scene still gives us a better chance of protecting her." Weiss concluded.

"…Right, send me that address and I'll be there in a flash." Jaune complied before hanging up.

The moment he got the message he sprinted through the streets of Vale, following a map on his scroll until he managed to find the chapel. It was a tall stone building, old but well kept, that had a large window shaped like an upside-down kite in a circle, which was apparently the religious symbol of this particular faith. As the people of Remnant weren't generally religious folk, dedicated places of worship like this were rare, even inside the kingdoms, it probably would've been hard to find if he didn't have the address on hand.

Jaune took a moment to catch his breath before walking through the large ornate door that was held wide open to welcome all that would worship there. The inside was much more impressive than the outside, the white walls lined with brass detailing, including pillars that popped up between stained glass windows that depicted the most important scenes in the faith's mythos. From what Jaune could tell, the religion postulated that Dust was a gift to humans from some deity, though the specifics beyond that didn't matter much to him. What instead captured his interest was the form of Asami, kneeling before an altar that overlooked the pews. He could see her shoulders shaking, and could hear her mumbling a prayer to herself, and to whatever force she believed was listening.

"Ms. Goda?" Jaune called out, startling Asami as she stood from her prayer and turned to him.

"Oh, it's you." She said, recognizing Jaune from the park.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Jaune politely inquired.

"No, not at all. In fact, you may be the answer to my prayers." Asami replied, a soft but clearly forced smile on her face. "…How is Rensuke?" She hesitantly asked, looking up at Jaune with a mixture of hope and dread.

"He's… he's hanging on, but not by much." He replied honest, immediately regretting it as he saw Asami's face fall.

"I see…" Asami nearly whispered, turning back to the altar. "…Are you here to tell me that I should make amends with him, before…"

" _No_!" Jaune quickly denied. "No, that's not what I'm saying at all. We're trying our very best to cure him, but the disease he has proliferates when the host is stressed."

"Stressed?" Asami said quizzically, turning back to him.

"Yeah, so if you could…"

"Then… then it's _my_ fault." Asami realized, a look of horror on his face. "He's stressed because I rejected his proposal. If… If I had just said yes, then he wouldn't be…"

"Hey, hey, take it easy! _Nobody's_ blaming you here." Jaune insisted, taking a few steps forward in response to Asami's steps back. "The virus can remain dormant for a long time, if it wasn't this, than it would've been something else. It's _not_ your fault." He assured her, managing to help her regain some sense of composure. "…But, if you don't mind me asking, why _did_ you say no?" He inquired. From what he could tell, she genuinely seemed to care about him, what could possibly keep her from marrying him?

"…I was afraid." Asami admitted, turning back around and gazing at the altar. "We met when he was still a student at Beacon, in that very same park where he proposed. He's a wonderful person, hardworking and brave, thoughtful and kind, being with him has made me happier than I've ever been in my whole life." She relayed to him with a bright smile on her face.

However, it quickly faded.

"But, when he graduated, and started going on real missions, it dawned on me just how dangerous the life of a Huntsman really is." She continued. "He'd come home with a smile on his face, telling me stories of how he "defeated the monster" and "saved the day", but all I could think about was how much danger he was always putting himself in. I can barely stand it when he leaves, and I only feel alive again when he returns… how can I start a family like that, knowing that every time he leaves, he may never come back…" She began choking up, tears spilling from her eyes as she squeezed her hands together anxiously.

"I…" Jaune struggled for something to say. He was a seventeen year old gamer that had never even had a girlfriend before, something like marriage was far out of the realm of his life experience. However, there was one person he knew who could perfectly comprehend Asami's dilemma; perhaps _her_ words could help.

"…I think I get where you're coming from." Jaune said, much to Asami's surprise. Her skeptical gaze was to be expected; he was just a child after all, and a Huntsman himself at that, technically. Jaune leaned back on the nearest pew, crossing his arms pensively as he contemplated the best way to word his thoughts.

"My mom's a housewife, not the most respected profession a woman can have in this day and age, but she was proud of it nonetheless. My dad, on the other hand, is a veteran Huntsman." Asami flinched at the new information, probably already guessing where Jaune was going with this. "He's a great father, all things considered, no matter how worn out he would be from a mission, he always managed to make time for us once he was home, not an easy task considering he had to split his attention between eight kids and a wife." Asami's face went pale, as many did when faced with the logistics of his family.

"My mom and dad are really in love, even as a kid I could tell that much, but as happy as they were when they were together, when they were apart, when my dad had to go out on missions, my mom would sometimes get this… sad look on her face. It was mostly when she thought we weren't looking, and my sisters and I always pretended not to notice, but once I was old enough to at least guess at the reason, I asked her about it. Looking back, it was probably a really difficult question to answer, to explain to your child that there was a very real chance that his father may die out there on the battlefield, and I asked her why she would marry my dad if his job always made her feel like this." He paused for a moment, as if egging Asami on.

"What… what did she say?" Asami pleaded for him to continue, bringing a smile to Jaune's face.

"She told me that it didn't matter that my dad was a Huntsman, she'd be worried about him no matter what line of work he was in." Jaune said, much to Asami's confusion. "If he were a life guard at a pool, she'd worry about him drowning or getting heatstroke. If he were a construction worker, she would worry about him getting crushed by a steel beam or being shot by a nail gun. Even if he were something as mundane as an accountant or a dentist she'd still worry about him getting into an accident during his commute to work." Jaune stood from the pew and stood before Asami. "She told me that worrying about someone when you're apart is what it means to love them, so you can't let that stop you from being happy when you're together."

Asami's eyes lit up, a few more stray tears spilling out before she wiped them away.

"He really does make me happy… I… I want to marry him." She declared, a bright smile appearing on her face that Jaune couldn't help but compare to his mother.

"It shall never come to be!" An angry voice bellowed as a Game Area suddenly consumed the chapel. Jaune turned on his heel to see the Aranbura Bugster stroll through the chapel doors, a posse of Bugster Soldiers dressed in mage like robes and armed with mystic looking staves following close behind him. "Hand the bride over to me." It demanded. Jaune stood protectively before Asami, but the Aranbura Bugster scoffed at his effort.

"Con- _Sturik!_ " The Bugster cried. A glowing red magic circle appeared beneath Jaune and Asami, four strands of iron chains springing forth, two of which slammed Jaune to the ground. The other two bound Asami by the arms and lifted her into the air.

"No!" Jaune cried, reaching up to her in vain. Asami was carried up over their heads and onto a balcony overlooking the whole room, more chains wrapping around her and squeezing her just tight enough to make her lose consciousness.

"This place of worship shall be my dungeon, and the bride shall remain here for the rest of her days! With no hope of ever seeing his beloved again, that man shall fall into the deepest chasm of despair, and I shall become a complete being!" The Aranbura Bugster proclaimed, laughing maniacally at its own dastardly plan.

"So the dragon has kidnapped the princess, huh?" Jaune stated as he pulled out his Gashat and activated it.

" _Mighty Action X!_ " Jaune let out a confident smirk as the Game Area was created.

"Well, I may not be her prince, but I'll rescue her all the same." He equipped his Gamer Driver. "I'll change the patient's fate… with my own hands!" He declared before dramatically posing with his Gashat. "Henshin!"

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Driver sang, transforming Jaune into Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 1.

"Pathetic, such fledgling power is no threat to me." The Aranbura Bugster scoffed.

"Maybe not, but Level 2 sure is. Dai-Henshin!" Ex-Aid cried and reached for the lever. However, the moment his oversized fingers wrapped around it, the Aranbura Bugster raised its staff and aimed it at Asami, the crystal glowing as he prepared to cast another spell. "Huh?"

"Be warned my adversary, level up and the woman perishes." It threatened.

"You coward! Let her go, this is between you and me!" Ex-Aid demanded.

However, Aranbura's only response came in the form of the staff glowing brighter and a few more magic circles appearing around Asami, ready to end her. Ex-Aid glared daggers at the Bugster behind his helmet, but with a defeated grunt he let go of the lever. The Aranbura Bugster let out a satisfied chuckle.

"As always, you humans prove to be far too feeble." It taunted before ordering the grunts forward with a flick of its wrist.

They lined up between their master and Ex-Aid, aiming their staves and unleashing fireballs at him. Ex-Aid desperately tried to avoid the projectiles, but his wide frame and limited mobility made it incredibly difficult, especially in such a confined space. Eventually, the fireballs stopped coming and the Bugster Soldiers charged forward, engaging Ex-Aid directly. This was much easier to deal with, considering that as spell casters they weren't exactly built for melee combat. However, the sheer number of them, and dwindling area to fight in made it more troublesome than it really should have been.

Ex-Aid ducked under a few of the staves that were swung at him and crescent kicked the Bugsters in the immediate area away, allowing him the room to leap up and attempt to break open a Chocolate Block above him.

"Sha- _Kurri!_ " The Aranbura Bugster shouted, a magic circle appearing on the ceiling above Ex-Aid and bringing down a bolt of electricity onto him. He cried in pain as the volts traveled through his body, stopping his ascension and sending him falling to the ground.

"You anguish of your own volition, Kamen Rider." The Aranbura Bugster said as its minions dragged Ex-Aid to his feet, holding him before their master. "For all of your impressive tenacity, it takes but a single threat, to the correct individual, and you humans come crumbling to your knees." It wacked Ex-Aid with its staff, then again with double the force. "Fa- _Rabul!_ " It casted a fireball spell point blank on Ex-Aid's chest, sending him flying back and crashing into the wall.

"Ugh…" Ex-Aid grunted as he struggled to his feet, his Rider Gauge falling to but a mere sliver. "…Under leveled… out numbered… this isn't looking good." He lamented as the Bugsters began closing in.

"Make peace with your maker, pitiful human, for my dungeon shall be your tomb!" Aranbura shouted, preparing its staff for the final strike. Ex-Aid steadied himself, his mind running a million miles a minute as he considered his options.

He couldn't afford to fail; he had to clear the game.

"Started the operation without me, did you Ex-Aid?" A familiar voice echoed through the chapel. All turned their attention to the chapel doors to see Neptune Vasilias, Gamer Driver already equipped, enter the chapel, the afternoon light of the sun outside at his back as he strode in. "Though, looks like it might be about time to tag in." His snarky words contrasted incredibly with the stone cold look on his face, his composure cool and calm as he spun his Rider Gashat on his finger before activating it.

" _Taddle Quest!_ " The device announced as it expanded its Game Area. The usual chests were placed all around the chapel, but on the altar appeared a broken stone pillar, an old, rust covered sword sticking out from it. He met the eyes of the Aranbura Bugster for a moment before sliding down his goggles and readying his Gashat.

"Henshin!"

" _Gashatto! Let's game, meccha game, mucha game, whatcha name! I'm a Kamen Rider!_ " The Driver sang as Neptune transformed into Brave Quest Gamer Level 1. Without even a moment to spare, he reached down and grabbed the lever on his Driver.

"Brave, wait!" Ex-Aid pleaded. "You can't level up, he's holding Asami hostage!"

"Then quit playing around with the small fry and rescue her!" Brave shot back, much to Ex-Aid's shock. "I'll give you an opening, or is that against the "rules of the game"?"

"Th-That's not…!" Ex-Aid's rebuttal went completely ignored, Brave gripping his lever and brandishing the Reversal Shield.

"Paging Level 2." Brave said as he pulled the lever.

" _Gatchan! Level Up!_ " The Driver announced as the blue screen materialized and passed through Brave. " _Tadoru Meguru! Tadoru Meguru! Taddle Quest~!_ " Brave rose into the air, various doors appearing around him and opening to reveal a number of different fantasy settings. Once he reached the peak of his ascension, his level one form fell away, bursting through a pair of double doors to reveal Brave Quest Gamer Level 2.

His helmet remained in the shape of a knight, and the Reversal Shield was now attached to this left forearm as a protective gauntlet. His body suit was predominantly black with various blue patterns decorating it, and his shoulders were protected by a pair of blue, spiked pauldrons.

"Whoa…" Ex-Aid couldn't help but gawk at the sight of him, the Kamen Rider cutting a very refined, knightly figure.

"The doctor is in, let the Bugster elimination surgery begin." Brave stated, raising his hands in the manor a surgeon would once their hands had been properly sterilized. Taking the gesture as a challenge, the Bugster Solders attacked, Brave effortlessly blocking and evading their clumsy attacks.

"Hmph, you shall regret refusing to heed my warning, human." The Aranbura Bugster spat as it aimed its staff at his captive, the crystal glowing in preparation to cast a spell.

"Oh no, Asami!" Ex-Aid just barely managed to evade a swing from a Bugster Soldier and kick it away.

His cry also alerted Brave to the impending danger. Shoving past the Bugster Soldiers, he delivered a swift kick to the staff; interrupting the casting and giving Ex-Aid the opening he had promised him. Unfortunately, the kick didn't disarm the mage, and so he followed up with a punch to the head, only for the Bugster to duck under it and attempt to whack Brave with his staff. He managed to step back out of reach, but this gave the Aranbura Bugster the chance to shoot a fireball at him, forcing Brave to roll away, creating even more distance.

Meanwhile, Ex-Aid had rushed to the nearest treasure chest, and once he made sure it wasn't locked, he threw the lid open to reveal a silver medal depicting a rider standing tall and flexing, as if with a new surge of energy.

" _Recover!_ " The Driver announced as the Energy Item faded into green energy and washed over Ex-Aid, raising his Rider Gauge to a more secure amount.

"Perfect!" He said before leaping out of the way of a fireball thrown by a Bugster Soldier. He then began summoning Chocolate Blocks to jump onto, the Bugster Soldiers trying their best to shoot him out of the air, but to no avail.

"Struggle all you can, but it is futile!" The Aranbura Bugster mocked as he returned to casting the spell that would finish off his host's beloved.

"NO!" Ex-Aid shouted as he jumped as quickly as he could to the balcony. Once he landed, he shielded Asami with his body, bracing himself for the spell.

A few moments passed.

Nothing.

"Huh?" Ex-Aid breathed quizzically.

"…Im…possible…" He heard the Aranbura Bugster choke out, followed by a heavy thud as he hit the floor. Standing behind him, in a perfect striking stance, was Brave, wielding the old, rustic sword he had pulled from its resting place. It crackled with energy, traveling from the end of the blade that struck the Bugster all the way to the handle, until its rusted coating fell away in a burst of heat.

" _Gashacon Sword!_ " The weapon announced as it revealed its true form. The handle and guard were a pristine, silvery grey with various blue plating, and the blade itself was designed to resemble a high quality sword blade that was coated in orange flames. As with the other Gashacon Weapons, the guard was equipped with a bright orange A button and an icy blue B button, with a large, black Gashat Slot on the opposite side.

"Whoa! It's the Legendary Sword from Taddle Quest!" Ex-Aid said, recognizing the weapon as the most powerful sword available in the game.

"This is my scalpel." Brave refuted, despite admiring the weapon.

"Huh? Scalpel?"

"It's like I said, this is a serious medical operation." Brave repeated, pointing the Gashacon Sword at Ex-Aid challengingly. "The patient doesn't need a gamer, or even a Huntsman; he needs a _doctor_ , and that's what we are right now. Call it a game as much as you want Jaune, but _I'm_ not gonna bother with a bunch of stupid game mechanics that just get in the way of me doing my job!" He proclaimed, his voice brimming with so much resolve that Ex-Aid had to take a step back, feeling attacked.

"…I…" He struggled to find a reply. He couldn't say with one hundred percent certainty that if the rest of the CR was present that they would agree with him, but he doubted any of them would argue with him either. And why would they, Ex-Aid was the only one that was fully accepting of the game mechanics that were forced upon them, while the others only followed them out of necessity, and begrudgingly at that.

He wasn't a doctor.

He wasn't even a Huntsman.

He was just… a gamer.

"I'm… going to clear the game… and save the patient." Ex-Aid finally replied, Brave's grip tightening around the sword upon hearing the answer. "I'm not like you guys, I _need_ the game mechanics to fight. I need to _play_ to fight. It's how I've done it since I first became Ex-Aid, and it's how I've rescued every patient I've fought for so far. I know Rensuke doesn't need a gamer, but that's just who I am, and that's who's going to save him!" He declared, meeting Brave's judging gaze.

He looked like he wanted to say something, to argue the point further, but instead he lowered the blade, as if withdrawing from the debate, but not admitting defeat.

"Also, you've wasted your sneak attack stun." Ex-Aid added before going to free Asami.

"What?" Brave said quizzically. It was then that he noticed that the Aranbura Bugster had only just begun to return to his feet, having been paralyzed for their entire conversation. With an annoyed grunt, Brave brandished his sword and reentered the fray, slashing at the Bugster Soldiers that attempted to protect their master.

Once Ex-Aid managed to get Asami free from her bindings, he laid her gently onto the floor and returned his attention to the battle.

"Alright, it's a bad idea to fight Aranbura in his dungeon… guess I'll just take things outside." He decided before hitting the switch on the Kimewaza Slot Holder.

" _Stage Select!_ " His Driver announced as the chapel around them morphed into a large field in the middle of a vast forest of beautiful red-leafed trees. Ex-Aid leaped off the balcony as it transformed into a tall, luscious tree, where Asami laid resting in its oversized branches.

"Huh? Is this… Forever Fall?" Brave said quizzically, having only read of the area in books.

"Ahhh! My dungeon! What have you done to my dungeon?" The Aranbura Bugster panicked at the sudden change of venue.

"Not so tough without a fortress to lord over are you, Aranbura?" Ex-Aid taunted, infuriating the Bugster.

"Grrr, seize him, and retake the bride! It ordered its minions before returning its attention to Brave. "I shall deal with _this_ knave myself." The Bugster Soldiers did as instructed, charging towards Ex-Aid and the tree he was guarding. He kicked a few that went to attack him, giving him room to level up.

"Dai-Henshin!"

" _Gatchan! Level Up! Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty, Mighty Action X!_ " The Driver sang as Ex-Aid broke free from his stubby body into Action Gamer Level 2.

"I'll clear this game with no continues!" Ex-Aid declared after landing before the swarming Bugster Soldiers.

He immediately summoned his Gashacon Breaker, opting to keep it in hammer mode, having had enough of swords for one day. Ex-Aid smashed his weapon into the face of any Bugster that came close, however he soon realized that the ones attacking him were merely a diversion, a few others having casted levitation spells to attempt to reach Asami.

"Oh no you don't!" Ex-Aid said before jumping all the way up to their height and knocking them back down to the ground. He leapt off a Chocolate Block and knocked down another pair attempting to do the same, before noticing that a few were actually attempting to simply climb the tree.

"Don't think I don't see you down there!" Ex-Aid taunted before leaping back down and hammering them off of the tree. However, once all of the Soldiers were out of commission, one particular Bugster that remained behind during the scuffle waved its staff, sending sparkling dust over the area and revitalizing its comrades. Ex-Aid let out an annoyed groan.

"I _hate_ healers!" He complained as he tapped the B button on his weapon three times. He brought it down onto the ground, knocking all of the Bugsters prone and allowing him to go straight for the healer.

Meanwhile, Brave was hard at work taking on the Aranbura Bugster. It tried to keep him at a distance with a barrage of fireballs, but Brave defended against every single one, slashing the larger ones away while simply letting the lesser ones bounce off the Reversal Shield. He managed to close the gap between them in a snap and quickly gained the advantage, the Aranbura Bugster sharing its minions' weakness to melee combat.

It tried to deflect Brave's slashes with its staff, but his expert swordsmanship along with the intense heat the blade gave off with every strike, eventually managed to get past its defenses. Brave landed two light slashes on the Bugster's chest, following up with a spinning back kick that knocked his opponent off balance. He took the chance to tap the B button on the Gashacon Sword, charging it with pixelated flames before he advanced on the Bugster and landed a powerful, two-handed overhead slash, knocking the Bugster tumbling to the ground.

"…You shall regret raising your blade against me… don't think I have forgotten how to deal with you." The Aranbura Bugster threatened as it forced itself to its feet. "Sur- _Pash!_ " It casted, the same dreaded ball of water materializing over its staff.

"Oh no, the Splash Spell!" Ex-Aid panicked. He attempted to intervene, but the persistent Bugster Soldiers blocked his path.

Brave took a few reflexive steps back upon seeing the mass of water again, the Gashacon Sword rattling as his hands began to shake in terror. However, this time, he reminded himself of what was at stake; an innocent life, one that he was responsible for and would be mourned over if he failed. He grabbed his shaking hand with the other, taking a deep breath before muttering "nothing to be ashamed of" under his breath.

"…You're dreaming if you think I'm gonna fall for that trick twice." Brave said in a playful tone that hid his fear perfectly. With this declaration he tapped the A button on his weapon.

" _Ko Chīn!_ " The Gashacon Sword cried as the blade spun around, the flames transforming into a coat of jagged ice. Brave changed the grip on the weapon into a reverse grip, brandishing it for a moment before tapping the B button twice, charging it with sub-zero energy.

"Drown in your own fear, cowardly knight!" The Aranbura Bugster cried before throwing the ball of water at Brave. However, the moment it left the staff, Brave swung his blade, a wave of freezing cold wind meeting the ball between them and freezing it solid. "What?" The Bugster exclaimed in surprise.

Suddenly, all of Brave's lingering fear vanished. He was deathly afraid of water, but he was perfectly fine against ice. With a loud cry, Brave sent the ball of ice flying back towards the Bugster with a jump spinning kick, the construct shattering upon impact and making Aranbura stagger back. This gave Brave the chance to close the gap between them and tear him apart with his blade. Aranbura tried its best to defend, but Brave's strikes were just as quick and precise as ever, each successful slash accompanied by icy particle effects.

The Bugster shivered at the cold battle wounds it was receiving, which only served to slow down its movements and leave it vulnerable for more attacks. It managed to evade a particularly quick slash, but Brave followed through and came back around with a leaping spinning slash that sent the Bugster rolling onto the ground. Brave decided to seize such a prime opportunity and tapped the B button a full four times, super charging the blade with so much freezing energy that a second coating of ice appeared on it. He planted the frozen blade into the ground, sending a wave of ice towards the enemy that immediately froze it on contact.

"Egh… such a pitiful attempt… to ensnare me…" The Aranbura Bugster said as it began to slowly but surely break out of its icy prison. However, before it had the chance, Ex-Aid came up behind it and slammed the Gashacon Breaker against its back, freeing it from the ice but invoking the previously mentioned "sneak attack stun".

"Not bad, but _I'm_ gonna be the one to finish this game!" Ex-Aid stated as he removed the Gashat from his Driver and slid it into the Gashacon Breaker.

" _Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " The weapon announced as it began to charge with green and pink graphic energy. He swung the hammer around in preparation before pulling the trigger.

" _Mighty Critical Finish!_ " It announced before Ex-Aid jumped into the air for the final strike.

"Think again." Brave said as he quickly switched the Gashacon Sword back into Fire Mode. "I'll be the one to complete the operation!" He declared as he removed his own Gashat from his Gamer Driver and slid it into the Gashat Slot on his weapon.

" _Gashatto! Kimewaza!_ " It announced as the blade began charging with graphic, fiery orange energy. He fell into a pre-striking stance, gripping the handle with both hands tightly before pulling the trigger.

" _Taddle Critical Finish!_ "

Ex-Aid came down on the stunned Bugster with his hammer, the force of the impact powerful enough to earn a GREAT and sending it flying into the air, Ex-Aid preparing to strike it again on its way down. However, it was then that Brave swung his sword, sending a powerful energy slash cleaving into the falling Bugster, and nearly into Ex-Aid himself had he not ducked away in time. The GREAT given to Ex-Aid was replaced with a PERFECT as the Aranbura Bugster exploded into black pixels, the shockwave sending Ex-Aid falling onto his behind, leaving Brave to stand triumphantly on his own.

" _Game Clear!_ " The Gamer Driver announced, the ring of game titles orbiting around Brave before the GAME CLEAR graphic appeared over Taddle Quest.

With the task complete, Brave turned to face Ex-Aid, the Rider returning to his feet and meeting his critical gaze. Without a single word, Brave approached him, Ex-Aid stiffening until they were standing before each other. Brave let out a sigh before switching his weapon to his left hand and offering Ex-Aid his right.

"Agree to disagree?" He suggested, much to Ex-Aid's surprise. He considered the gesture for a moment, they had yet to really reach a conclusion to their debate, but perhaps they didn't need to.

"Yeah. So long as the job gets done." Ex-Aid accepted the handshake, Brave nodding in agreement.

* * *

"A toast, to the four Kamen Riders of the CR!" Ruby announced, holding up a glass filled with punch.

" **Cheers~!** " The rest of the CR Crew said as they raised their own glasses.

The moment Jaune and Neptune returned to the CR lounge they were ambushed by their support team, who had set up an impromptu party apparently celebrating the assemblage of all four Kamen Riders. As such, they, along with Sun and Ren, had been forced into ridiculous looking party hats, and capes that were actually just altered posters of the games that they respectively utilized. Together, they sat at the very head of the table; all with sour looks on their faces.

"Man, it sure is great knowing that we have four, count em', _four_ , reliable Kamen Riders fighting the war against the Bugster Virus." Ruby said with an over the top smile.

"Indeed, it is so wonderful how they are all so unique in their methods, yet are all _equally_ valued members of the team." Pyrrha added, with equal over-enthusiasm.

The three innocent Riders all turned their sour gazes to Jaune. The crew wasn't fooling anybody, this party was their way of responding to Jaune's previous sulking; an apology and a punishment all wrapped in one cringe filled package, and all four Riders were being dragged into it.

"Guys, you really don't have to do this." Jaune insisted.

"What was that Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, I couldn't hear you over all of the _love_ and _support_ we're giving each and every one of you." Yang teased with a wide grin on her face.

"Ugh, I get it, I'm sorry for giving you guys the cold shoulder like that! Please, just make this…!" Jaune's plea was interrupted by Nora blowing a party horn in his face.

"Love and support, Jauney. Love and support." She said, causing Jaune to plant his head on the table in despair. "It's a real shame that Rensuke and Asami didn't stick around though."

"I think they'd much rather have their _own_ party to celebrate their engagement." Ren suggested.

Once Rensuke and Asami reunited, they reconciled and Asami accepted his proposal. The thought of the rather touching moment brought a smile to Jaune's face, especially considering that he helped make it happen. He couldn't help but wonder if he would ever be rid of his insecurities in regards to his status as a gamer amongst Huntsmen. It certainly weighed on him less than it did earlier that afternoon, but all it would take is another fumbled answer in the classroom or clumsy trip during combat class to bring him right back down again.

But, now was not the time to think of such things. The game was cleared, the patient saved, and a new comrade made, however shaky the alliance seemed to be. It didn't take long for the Riders to join in on the overzealous merry making, Nora recalling a dream she had involving the Riders and an oversized shrimp, while they stuffed their faces with snacks and drinks.

However, right outside the door to the CR, Glynda Goodwitch peered inside, a sour look appearing on her face as she watched the acting medical professionals giggle at the red headed girl's attempt to impersonate a shellfish. She rolled her eyes before starting down the hallway, pulling out her scroll and typing in a code to make a call.

" _Ms. Goodwitch, what a pleasant surprise._ " Daniel Negro said as his image appeared on the screen.

"We need to talk, Mr. Negro." Professor Goodwitch said in an urgent, but professional tone.

Negro's interest was noticeably piqued.

* * *

"Damn it!" Graphite cursed as he cleaved right through a heavy-duty pipe with his Graphite Fang. He slashed yet another, attempting to relive himself of his immense frustration. "At this rate, our numbers will dwindle rather than rise!"

"I told you not to worry about it." Pallad insisted, lazily reclining on a generator as he played with his Play Pad.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Graphite demanded, looming over his comrade. "Yet another one of our brethren has been slain. We have waited five long years for this second outbreak and we don't have _anything_ to show for it!" He shouted right in Pallad's face, the Bugster only sparing him a glance before returning to his game.

"It's like I keep saying, we're not supposed to have anything to show for it yet." Pallad said, sitting up and pausing his game to give Graphite his attention. "Before we can put the puzzle together, we need to confirm what pieces we're working with. Right now, all that matters is that the strains breakout, they don't need to reach their complete form right away. We just need to be patient." He nonchalantly explained for what felt like the hundredth time.

However, Graphite was far from satisfied with the lecture, in fact it just made him even more irritated, his weapon charging with red energy before he sliced through all of the remaining pipe lines in a single slash, steam bursting forth from the remains. Pallad let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine, if it really means that much to you." He conceded, standing from his perch. "Give me your Bugvisor."

Graphite did as instructed, handing him the device. Pallad then pointed his finger at his running Play Pad, sending a mist of purple, pixelated data flying out from the tip and in through the screen. The image glitched violently before the screen suddenly went black, but moments later a cloud of black data came spewing forth from the Game Pad, Pallad quickly collecting it into the Bugvisor.

"Here, a new strain for you to try out." He said as he handed the Bugvisor back to Graphite. He looked at the data that had just been collected, the screen depicting the glitching start screen of the game Pallad had just been playing: Gridiron Grimm.

"This again? How is another mediocre strain of yours going to change anything?" Graphite questioned irritably.

"Let me ask you something Graphite, why haven't our comrades been able to reach their complete forms?" He rhetorically asked, replacing the game in his Play Pad.

"Huh? Isn't that obvious, it's because those Kamen Riders keep…"

"Exactly, because the Kamen Riders always show up when someone gets infected." Pallad cut him off with the answer he was looking for. "However, the Kamen Riders themselves have no way of knowing when a Bugster breaks out, they have to be called first. This usually isn't a problem for them, after all when a human gets seriously ill they'll usually seek out treatment." Pallad then began playing with the new game. "So, the solution is simple, just infect somebody who _won't_ call for help when they get sick." He concluded, sitting back down to play.

"…Does a human like that even exist?" Graphite asked dubiously.

"They do, we've met plenty of them already, remember?" Pallad assured, smirking at his companion.

"Hmph, I feel like we'd be doing the humans a favor if we used those scum." Graphite scoffed.

"Hey, you're the one who wants a new comrade so badly, I'm just telling you the best way to go about it." Pallad said with a brighter, more playful smile.

"…Besides eliminating the Kamen Riders?" Graphite carefully alluded.

"Right, _besides_ that." Pallad confirmed, his smile never leaving his face despite the clear threat behind his words.

Graphite sighed in defeat, knowing there was no point in debating the matter any further. Besides, it was a solid idea, and if it got their numbers to grow, he couldn't exactly complain.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah... can you tell I tried _really_ hard to make Neptune a proper substitute for Hiiro? Did I succeed? Probably not. Let me know what you guys think about that, did you like what I did with him, or should I have just tried something completely different? I have to say though, I had kind of a hard time figuring out what his Level Up catchphrase would be. Hiiro's phrases are probably the most difficult to translate and keep catchy, so instead of going for a literal translation, I opted to stick with the doctor theme and based his phrase on that old hospital cliche "Paging Doctor Whatever", I think it works out pretty well. **

**I also tried to give some context to Weiss' apparent attraction to Neptune. I think most people would agree that their relationship always seemed kind of forced in the series, so rather than just retcon it out of this story like I did with Jaune's continued attraction to Weiss, I wanted to try to give it some believable context, once again, without drastically changing the characters. How did I do?**

 **As for this new take on Rensuke and Asami, I sort of based their conflict around an opinion I've always had about military families. No offense to our veterans, but I always thought that their family situations were so unfair for all parties involved, it kind of made me wonder why they even bother having families in the first place, you know? Again, no** **disrespect, just an observation I've made, and of course I had Jaune, or rather his mother, make the case for it.**

 **Well, that's about it for this chapter, did you like it, did you hate it, how do you feel about Neptune as Kamen Rider Brave? Whatever you thought of it, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you all next time.**


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